Election day has arrived in Anambra State, and the tempo of activities has not been the same everywhere.
While some communities began voting quite early, other parts of the state capital were still trying to settle into full election mode long after 8 a.m.
In areas within Njikoka Local Government Area, ballot casting kicked off promptly. Voters there were already being processed in the morning, and the exercise was reported to be moving without unnecessary delays.But within Awka city, the start was less organised. Some polling centres near the Awka South axis remained inactive for a while before materials and election staff eventually arrived.
The slower takeoff surprised a few residents who felt that the capital, especially so close to the Commission’s headquarters, should not be the area struggling to get started.
In locations around Federal Government Technical College, Ward VI, the parties that were most visibly present were the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the All Progressives Congress.
Many other parties had not been physically noticed in those same places at the time of checking.A total of sixteen candidates are running in today’s governorship contest, including the incumbent governor, Professor Charles Soludo of APGA, and Nicholas Ukachukwu of APC, alongside aspirants from PDP, Labour Party, YPP and several other platforms.
INEC had earlier stated that more than 24,000 personnel would be deployed across 5,718 polling units with two polling units exempted due to having no registered voters.
Today’s poll is part of Anambra’s off–cycle election calendar, a schedule that has been in place since the early 2000s.More reports will emerge as the day progresses and as collation points become the focus later on.
