Nsukka residents express readiness for Saturday’s elections

Some residents of Nsukka town in Enugu State are ready to exercise their franchise during Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections.

This was the dominant expression of the residents who spoke in separate interviews with the Journalists in Nsukka on Thursday.

The residents also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide a level play ground for political parties in order to ensure free, fair and credible polls.

Speaking to NAN, Mr Sunday Idoko a lawyer, urged INEC to ensure that voting materials and ad hoc staff arrive early at polling units to enable early commencement of voting process.

“INEC should ensure that voting materials and ad hoc staff arrive early at the polling units. This will boost the confidence of the electorate in the process.

“Late arrival of polling materials and personnel can create the wrong impression in the minds of the electorate. It should be avoided,’’ he said.

Idoko said that people tend to believe that a political party had hijacked polling materials whenever such materials arrived late.

“I am ready to vote on Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections. INEC should do everything within its capacity to ensure a credible process.

Mrs Chisom Nnadi a Civil Servant, also expressed readiness to exercise her franchise during the elections.

“I am prepared for this election, I will be voting at Okpuje in Nsukka Local Government Area. All I need is a peaceful atmosphere.

“I voted during the Presidential and National Assembly elections. I am prepared to do the same this time,’’ she said.

Nnadi also called on INEC to ensure that votes cast during the poll would count.

Also speaking, Mr Bethel Ezema, a Human Rights Activist, urged the electorate to resist any attempt to subvert the will of the people.

“I am prepared to vote. I am also prepared to resist any inducement by candidates and their supporters.

“I am calling on INEC to ensure early delivery of voting materials to polling units as well as ensure adequate security for voters and INEC staff,’’ he said.

He called on INEC to avoid the errors that caused malfunction of the card readers in the last elections.

“INEC should conduct adequate checks on card readers deployed to polling units. Card reader error was a huge problem at the last election,’’ Ezenma said. (NAN)