Voter Apathy Threatens Imo Re-Run Elections

There are strong indications that voters in Imo State may not troop out to vote in the governorship and House of Assembly re-run elections holding on Saturday in the state.

Reports from the affected electoral wards and polling units across the state showed that voters were not showing the desired interest to participate in the elections.

Some registered voters, who spoke with our correspondent, alleged that some selfish politicians, who manipulated the elections were responsible for the cancellation of the previous elections.

“So, why should we go out again to vote? After casting our votes, politicians and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will do whatever they like. It is better for them to just announce the results and declare winners, without bothering the masses”, one voter said.

According to some of them, the last two elections exposed the high level of impunity on the part of politicians and INEC ad hoc officials, with snatching of ballot boxes and thuggery being the order of the day.

“One would have thought that the policemen present that day were impersonators, with the way they brandished their guns and were shooting sporadically. It was a terrible situation. We need to be careful because there will be no significant change by whoever wins in the state”, one of them said.

The INEC in in the state had, recently, declared the governorship and House of Assembly elections, inconclusive because of alleged electoral violence and fraud. The commission, consequently, fixed tomorrow (April 25) for the re-run of the inconclusive polls in over 250 polling units.

He apologised to the passengers for the inconvenience that the FAAN action might have caused them adding that safety and comfort of passengers remained the bedrock of the airline’s operations.

Investigations by Daily Times revealed that Arik airline had never paid landing charges in Lagos since it started operations as the airline.

But a source close to FAAN disputed Arik’s claim, saying that the Home Base parking was only free, whereas the landing charges were not.

The sources alleged that one third of the debt in FAAN was owed by Arik airline.