Anambra Guber Election: Decamped Deputy Gov Spotted Displaying Ballot Paper To Electorate Before Voting
Dr Nkem Okeke, Anambra Deputy Governor, displayed his ballot paper to other voters on Saturday before casting his vote.
He said that he did this to dispel the rumour making the round that he had re-defected to his former party, the All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA).
“I had to reveal my ballot paper because there have been rumors that I had defected back to APGA, but that is not true. You just saw that I voted for my party, APC,” he said.
Dr expressed satisfaction at the new technology, the Biometric Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), introduced by INEC at the on-going governorship election in the state.
Okeke expressed the satisfaction after voting at the Umueze Awozu, Enugwu-Ukwu Ward 3, polling unit 005.
The high turnout of voters delayed the deputy governor for some time before he could cast his vote.
He commended the use of BVAS, saying it presented a seamless voting process.
” This is the easiest that I have had in voting experience ever; the process is unified and as you can see, I have just voted. In previous elections, I have always had problem with fingerprint; but this is different, ’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC has extended voting deadline to 4 p.m.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra, Mr Ukwuchukwu Orji, told newsmen in Awka that if the issue of delay because of malfunctioning voting machines was not addressed, the deadline would be extended for another day.
Orji said INEC decided to extend voting deadline because of some glitches in the machines.
He said that the extension would enable voters to participate in the process and assured that INEC would ensure that all registered voters got the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Earlier on Saturday, a chieftain of the APC, Chief John Bosco Onunkwo, called on INEC to extend the voting deadline by three hours.
He said this was necessary to accommodate the high number of people who were yet to vote.
– NAN
