The governorship election in Ihiala LGA of Anambra state was on Saturday suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) due to the outbreak of violence in various polling units in the LGA.
INEC officials reported being attacked by hoodlums in different communities across the LGA.
An INEC official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told reporters that the hoodlums disrupted the election and claimed they were enforcing the sit-at-home order earlier imposed by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB).
This was despite the fact that the sit-at-home directive had been suspended by IPoB hours before the election.
Some INEC officials also disclosed that residents in the area disrupted the election in some polling units because of the late arrival of voting materials.
Said a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving as an election official: “We were blocked on our way to the polling units in Okija community. We met some hoodlums who barricaded the roads, saying we can’t go for the election. They also said they were not interested in election as long as there is sit-at-home order”.
Another INEC ad hoc official, who identified herself simply as Comfort, said hoodlums accused staff of the electoral body of planning to rig the election.
Said she: “Some youths attacked us seriously. They even accused us of planning to change results. They said we were supposed to travel together with other INEC officials. They said we were planning to change the results and because of that, they started beating some of us. So, we had to turn back”.
Yet another ad hoc staff of INEC, a corps member who identified himself as Peter, said lateness to the polling units led to attacks in some areas.
Informed he: “I think our lateness to the Ogbolo wards frustrated the hoodlums to strike violence. In fact, some of us were eventually attacked. We had to find motorcycles to find our way out of the place, and we were told to start going home”.
It was not yet clear as at press time when the election will be conducted in the LGA.
