Calabar South Local Government Area (LGA) has witnessed a very low voter turnout in the ongoing governorship and state House of Assembly election in the State.
Although, residents of the LGA complied with the movement restriction order of the Nigerian Government, the electorates at the various polling units were seen to be very few.
It was observed that only a few people have come out to vote in the density populated LGA; unlike in the Calabar Municipality area where voting commenced as early as 8.30 am in most of the wards because materials arrived early.
Awaiting voters
Polling centres visited in ward 12 Calabar south, LGA showed near empty units as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) endlessly await voters.
In polling unit 044, in Ekpo Abasi, one of the electorates, Mr. Charles Obo disclosed that as of 8:30 am, accreditation and voting had commenced but only very few people were available to vote.
Obo stressed that the low turnout of voters may have been caused by what he termed the disenfranchisement of voters in the last presidential election when many Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems, (BVAS) failed.
According to another voter, Mrs. Esther “People are not coming out because they feel their votes may not count because of what happened last three weeks’’.
Another voter, Mr. Reuben Ephraim also said “I think it is early, people will still come out and cast their vote’’.
Olusola Akintonde
