…Disruptions in Nkum-Iborr Ward, Ogoja
By Magnus Effiong, Ogoja
The Senator representing the northern senatorial district of Cross River, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for timely arrival of materials and functionality of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation (BIVA) machines in the Ogoja/Yala federal constituency by-election.
Jarigbe spoke shortly after casting his vote at poling unit 005, St Michael Primary School, Ibil Nkum, Ogoja
Our reporter who monitored the polls in Ogoja said the by-election which kicked off at about 8.30 am recorded impressive turnoutt of voters.
Speaking, Jarigbe said ” although the process is cumbersome as compared to what we used to have in the past, it is good for our democracy. I just finished voting after being captured by BIVA and it will be difficult to rig with the improvements I am swing today,that is if there is no by pass anywhere.
“To me, we have some well as a nation. We are not where we used to be and with the signing into law of the amended Electoral Act by Mr President, we are good to go.
“With this development, I think politicians will have to sit up and do the needful. For this election, the process is going on well.”
Our reporter also observed that elections in Polling Unit 008 at the customary court, Nkum Ishi-Aya went on well except the one in polling unit 002 in Nkum Iborr where some men, suspected to be loyal to be Chairman of Council allegedly attempted to hijack INEC material but we’re resisted by some youths if the area.
One of the voters, in an interview said “The council chairman came in about 9:00am with some policemen and some thugs and started pushing voters out of line but the youths resisted and insisted that the election must go on. At that point, some elderly women and men who came out to vote started started running helter skelter.”
When approached for his comments, the Chairman, Emmanuel Ishabor, who was physically present in the polling unit, refused to speak to reporters, and did not give reasons for not talking.
However, reacting to the development, the Presiding Officer of the polling unit, Ukpi Dorcas Yohna, said: “We started on time untill i heard some noise from the second polling unit.
“I tried to find out what happened and they told me that one of the party agents didn’t have a tag identification by now the situation is under control.
“We apologise for the disruption and would ensure that every voter who has turned out would cast his or her vote. We have about 961 registered voters and everybody who has turned out would vote.
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