VOTING has commenced in some parts of Anambra state, but accreditation of voters is yet to begin at the polling unit of the gubernatorial candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Charles Soludo due to the failure of card readers.
The election coverage being monitored by The ICIR shows that although election materials and officials of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) were present at the polling unit 002 Ofiyi Square in Isuofia Local Government, the card reader has failed to work.
Soludo is expected to cast his vote at the polling unit, but he has not been there.
Angry eligible voters who held their voter’s card expressed displeasure at the delay and failure of the card reader.
“Nothing is working here; see my PVC. I am prepared to vote, but we cannot vote; nothing is working here.
“We all have the same challenge, I’ve been here for more than three hours. Very soon, they will close the voting and we would not be able to vote. We need to vote and exercise our franchise, please,” he said.
Another voter said the INEC official at the polling unit had tried the accreditation more than three times, but it had failed to work.
“They tried it three good times, but it did not work,” he said, noting that he had been at the polling unit since 8 am but had not been accredited.
“If they do not want us to vote, let them tell us, we would go home, not that they will let us sit here all day without voting. The machines are not working.
The INEC official said he had informed the state headquarters of the card reader failure, and they promised to look into it.
Meanwhile, voting has commenced in some parts of the state capital, Awka, in Udeozor Primary School Ward 3 Awka.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94