It was a bag of mixed reactions during Saturday’s local Government election in Imo State.
The polls were conducted by the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, seven years in the life of the Rochas Okorocha administration.
27 Local Government Chairmanship candidates and 605 Councillorship candidates of the governing All Progressive Congress, APC are expected to sweep the polls.
The exercise went on smoothly in most areas though the restriction of movement from 8 am to 5pm was not totally observed. In Owerri, motorists plied the roads and streets just as markets and shops remained open.
Some residents engaged in sanitation exercise as heaps of refuse were dumped on the road. One of such heaps was sighted in front of Old stadium, Tetlow Road which caused vehicular gridlock.
Voter apathy was observed in some polling units, though it could be said that the situation was not the same across the 27 Local Government Areas as pictures surfaced on the social media showing Governor Rochas Okorocha casting his vote in his ward.
Reports had it at the City School, Owerri,at about 1:15pm ISIEC officials were seen with sensitive materials but were waiting for electorate. security agents were present.
At Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area boot 004 and 005 Uvuru ward II, voting was yet to begin as at 12.41pm as only few voters gathered to cast their vote
Despite newspaper reports that 14 political parties took part in the election, one of the listed political parties , the African Democratic Congress, ADC, distanced itself from the local Government election held on Saturday.
Chairman of the ADC, Barr Ignatius Nlem said his party did not participate and never fielded candidates.
He said he was shocked by the statement by ISIEC that it is among parties contesting Imo Council election.
Official results of the election from the State Electorla umpire are expected to be announced soon.
