Nwoye's name missing in voter register

Tony Nwoye, PDP's Anambra Guber Candidate

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Anambra State governorship election, Mr. Tony Nwoye, was prevented from voting, as his name was declared missing from the voter register.

Also missing from the register were the names of his father and uncle.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the candidate discovered the omission when he went for accreditation at the Offia-Nta polling unit 004 in his Nsugbe Ward. He said INEC officials assured him that the problem would be resolved but he did not have the chance to vote.

Nwoye said, “I am disappointed at the turn of events here. I was here as early as 8am to be accredited with my father and uncle but I found out that our names were missing in the INEC register. “I was a House of Assembly candidate for Anambra-East and West in 2011 and I voted in this same polling unit.”

“At which point did my name get missing from the register?’’ he queried.

The governorship candidate berated INEC the development and wondered how the commission would perform in 2015, if it failed to get it right in a state election. He said, “The development does not augur well for the country, since INEC cannot get it right in an isolated election.” The candidate, however, said he was sure of victory, in spite of the challenges.

Similarly, the All Progressives Congress, Sen. Chris Ngige, accused INEC of betrayal by the “shoddy manner’’ it conducted the election. Ngige accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukogu, of rigging. He alleged that the INEC official single-handedly went to the Central Bank of Nigeria to collect the voting materials without party agents.

Ngige said the voter register given to political parties by INEC before the election was not the same with the one they saw in the election, which had some names missing. Ngige alleged that voting materials were brought without result sheets in areas considered to be his stronghold. He said he was still watching the situation.

The APC candidate also alleged that in his ward in Alor and other communities in Idemili-North and Idemili-South, accreditation was delayed to disenfranchise the people. However, the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, said in Otolo Nnewi Ward 1 that he had no reason to fault the election until the results were released. “I am hopeful they will do well, for now, no complaint,” he said.

Similarly, the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate, Mr. Willie Obiano, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election.