NEWS ANALYSIS: Fraud, violence mar Anambra elections

by Cheta Nwanze

February 6, 2010 06:54PM

Anambra State has a history of electoral fraud and today's gubernatorial election was no different as it recorded significant irregularities.


Observers had anticipated the exercise would have many flaws. There were indications of failings before the polls. Two days ago,Justice Liman Mohammed of the Federal High Court at Ikoyi in Lagos ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission lacks the merit to conduct elections in the country because its board lacks the quorum required to conduct elections. There are currently four Federal Electoral Commissioners out of the 13 that make the board.


Following the ruling, there were concerns the Anambra election would not hold. However, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, , Josiah Uwazuruonye, claimed that the commission was yet to receive the ruling, and that the election would hold as scheduled.


Yesterday, the preparations for the elections were taken up a notch by the various candidates. The parties chartered buses to escort election materials to various polling centres and expressed satisfaction at the preparedness of INEC to conduct a free and fair election.


However, signs of trouble began to unravel in the night when some violence was reported. It was alleged that some thugs beat up Olufemi Aduwo, a member of INEC's monitoring committee. This was after he, allegedly, discovered a list of INEC officials that were meant to be bribed.


Election Day


The day started with delays in the delivery of election materials across the state. Our reporters in the state noted that many polling stations remained closed for hours after the election was scheduled to have started because of unavailable materials. INEC officials who spoke with our reporters blamed the police for the delays.


Police officers detailed to provide security at various polling centres were stranded at their stations because there were no adequate means of transportation.


A police commander, Francis Izu, said, at Akeagba, in Awka North local council , "We have enough policemen on the ground at Achalla without vehicles to convey them to the polling booths." Mr. Izu ordered that the election be stopped at venues where there were no security operatives present. INEC officials, however, insisted on the elections going ahead.


In some isolated cases, officers refused to go anywhere because they had not been paid their allowances.


There were some bright spots, however, as reports suggested that ballot papers arrived on time in places like Ajalli and Oko, and that voting commenced in those places without much fuss. However, in the majority of centres, nothing happened until after midday.


Delayed voting and missing names


By noon, pockets of protest had started to break out, and rumours began to spread about disappearing ballot boxes. Finally though, election materials began to arrive in some of the centres.


At about 2 pm, voting was ongoing in some centres, but trouble had again started brewing in others as a lot of voters could not find their names in the voters' registers. The story was the same in Ogbunike, Umunya, Mbanagu, Uga, Ifitedunu and Isuofia. Voters did not see their names in the register. Some famous names did not appear in the voters' register. Those affected included former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, Obiageli Uba and most of the Action Congress' candidate Mr. Ngige's family.


Reports indicated that in Abba, while locals could not find their names in the register, other, distinctly non-native, names were called out by INEC officials. Many voters in Agulu also reported that their names were missing from the register.


In Amawbia and other places, voting began at 2pm due to the late arrival of INEC officials.


A little bit of drama happened in the otherwise peaceful Awka zone, when the Speaker of the Anambra House of Assembly, Anayo Nnaeme, confronted the Resident Electoral Commissioner. Mr. Nnaeme was incensed that the elections were not holding in his ward, and threatened trouble if they did not hold. He also alleged that the INEC register sent to his ward had only 1700 names whereas over 4000 people had registered.


By mid-afternoon, rumours began to circulate that the PDP candidate Chukwuma Soludo had been kicked out of the race. At the sametime, supporters of Andy Uba, the Labour Party candidate, in violation of electoral laws, were openly soliciting for votes.


Stolen ballot boxes and violence


The story was the same in Uli, Onitsha, Obosi, Ojoto, Otuocha and Okpoko. People reported ballot boxes stolen, brazenly and in broad daylight. In Ojoto, there was gunfire and three ballot boxes were taken away.


People power


However, in Aromar and Isuofia, the people stood up for their rights. The INEC official at Unit 8, Isiaku, Isuofia was preventedfrom leaving because she had only four names on her voters' register. The party agents and voters insisted that she declare theelections null and void at that centre to prevent any fraud from occurring. According to them, there was no voting there, so they saw no reason why she would leave without declaring a no-vote there.


At Aromar, the people forced the INEC officials to read out the names on the register. No one heard his name, so they made the officials to register all of them on the spot, and cast their votes.


Eventually, the elections finished between 4pm and 5pm in various centres, and the first results were announced in Dunukofia at 4:20pm.