By Jeff Agbodo, Abakaliki
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Ohaozara Local Government Area, Osbourne Umahi, has commended the peaceful conduct of the Ebonyi State local government elections.
Umahi, son of the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, spoke after casting his vote at his Onuofukulu polling unit in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara LGA. He also thanked residents for turning out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
He said he was satisfied with the conduct of the election and expressed optimism that the outcome would reflect the wishes of the people.
“I’m satisfied with the conduct of the election so far. I’m happy to see that everything has been peaceful,” Umahi said.
He urged stakeholders to maintain the peaceful atmosphere until the conclusion of voting and collation of results.
Also, Senator Anthony Ani, representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District, described the election as a demonstration of the state’s commitment to democratic principles.
Ani, who spoke after casting his vote in Onicha Local Government Area, said the state remained peaceful, while adequate security measures had been deployed to ensure a smooth electoral process.
“Today’s election shows that we have embraced the principles of democracy,” he said.
On the debate over whether local government elections in the state should be held every two or four years, Ani said the duration was less important than the quality of governance provided by elected officials.
He said the priority should be for governments emerging from the elections to deliver the dividends of democracy to residents, stressing that the frequency of elections should not overshadow good governance and accountability.
The member representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Kama Nkemkanma, also expressed satisfaction with the voting process after casting his ballot in Ishiagu, Ivo LGA.
Nkemkanma said the turnout across the areas he visited showed that residents were interested in local government administration.
“You can see that people are still coming out to vote. That means people are interested in what we’re doing. They are certainly interested in local government,” he said.
The lawmaker expressed confidence in an APC victory and urged whoever emerged victorious to focus on serving the people.
He also rejected the description of the election as a one-party contest, arguing that no political party or individual had been prevented from obtaining nomination forms and contesting.
According to him, the absence of strong opposition in some areas was not the fault of the APC, as candidates who wished to contest were free to approach the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC).
Nkemkanma further urged elected officials to work within the structure of their political party and await appropriate directives on subsequent political activities.
Also speaking after voting at his Onu Borehole polling unit in Onicha LGA, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Valentine Okike-Uzor, described participation in the election as a constitutional right.
Okike-Uzor, who said he voted for the APC, expressed confidence in the party’s victory and urged whoever emerged chairman to see himself as the leader of all residents of the local government, irrespective of political affiliation.
“After today, the chairman becomes the chairman of everybody in the local government, not just one political party,” he said.
The commissioner expressed confidence in the mobilisation of voters and dismissed suggestions of vote-buying at his polling unit.
The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Francis Ori, also commended the conduct of the election after casting his vote at his Onuofukulu polling unit in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara LGA.
Ori thanked Governor Francis Nwifuru for what he described as the peaceful atmosphere in the state and commended EBSIEC for organising the election.
He said the turnout at his polling unit demonstrated the people’s interest in the electoral process and their appreciation of the administration.
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