Warri South: INEC reconducts polls in seven wards

There were complaints by some ad hoc staff that some of the result sheets were missing.

News Agency of Nigeria • February 26, 2023

INEC ballot box used to illustrate the story

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta has conducted elections in the various wards where elections could not be held on Saturday.

Activities at the INEC office, Warri South, on Sunday reported that the movement of voting materials to the respective wards started at about 12:10 p.m. and lasted till 3:00 p.m.

Voting materials started leaving the INEC office on Saturday at about 2:00 p.m.

Bukola Ojeme, a spokesperson for INEC in Delta, had earlier in a statement listed the affected Registration Areas (RA) and units to include as RA 1 (units 8, 9, 12 and 15), RA 4 (all its 30 units); RA 5 (units 9, 10, 11, 15, 28 and 29); RA 6 (unit 16); RA 7 ( all it’s 25 units); RA 9 ( all it’s 46 units); RA 11 (units 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 27).

There were complaints by some ad hoc staff that some of the result sheets were missing.

Based on that, the staff in the affected polling units refused to go to their units for fear of being lynched by angry voters.

They were, however, begged by party officials to go to their respective polling units and conduct the elections.

At about 4:00 p.m., the INEC office was still crowded, while some ad hoc staff looked tired.

Crisis almost erupted in the INEC premises but was quickly put under control by the prompt intervention of military personnel.

According to a member of the ad hoc staff, the supervisory polling officers ought to have sorted out the voting materials before dispatching to the various wards.

Kingsley Ogboe, the INEC Electoral Officer in Warri South, on the phone said he was not authorised to speak with journalists.

“I am not authorised to speak with journalists,” Mr Ogboe said.

Meanwhile, when NAN visited Ward 4 (units 3, 4, and 5) at Ogiame Primary School, voting was put on hold as there were no election result materials amid a high turnout of voters at the polling units.

At Ward 5, Uku Square (unit 12), voting started at about 3:50 p.m. and was conducted peacefully and orderly.

At Ward 9, Igbudu Primary School ( units 3, 4 and 5), voting commenced at about 4:00 p.m.

(NAN)

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