INEC chairman, Maurice Iwu

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SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that though the polling was largely peaceful and orderly, there were still pockets of skirmishes and violence recorded during the poll.

Findings by our correspondents showed that the late arrival of materials and disappearance of voters' names in the register basically topped the poll's situation report.

For instance, the former Vice-President, Dr Alex Ekwueme's name was conspicuously missing on the voter's register at the ward 001 Ezioko, Oko in Orumba North Local Government Area.

Though Ekwueme's name was not found in the register used by the INEC officials, he was still allowed to cast his vote.

Expressing disappointment over the development, Ekweme said, "I have voted, but my name was not identified on the register. I am not indicting anyone on the voters register for polling unit 002, but it was only three names that were identified out of the 500 on the register. It is the same flaws all over the town.

"The register here does not have my name on it, I was only allowed to register and vote because of the photocopy of the original INEC register I brought with me."

Many voters complained that they could not find their names in the register even though they had their voters' cards with them.

In some cases, some people whose names were not on the voters' register were allowed to vote.

In almost all the local government areas where our correspondents monitored, the election materials also did not leave the council offices of Independent National Electoral Commission before 11am.

At Umuokpu Community Primary School in Awka South Local Government Area, where there were supposed to be seven voting centres, as at 3pm neither the materials nor the officials of INEC had arrived at the centres.

At Oyolu Oze Primary School at Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area, voting materials and officials only came in escorted by policemen at 1.30pm.

At Onitsha North, Onitsha South and parts of Anambra East Local Government Areas, voting started late due to the late arrival of materials.

At Ibokun Ward 14 in Onitsha North, materials arrived as late as 11.14am. At O'Connor Ward, American Quarters Onitsha North, as at 10.45 am, there were no materials and INEC officials.

At Umueze Anam West 1015am there was no sign of electoral officials as they were yet to leave the local government headquarters at Nzam, a distance of 30 kilometres away.

In Onitsha South at the Central Primary School, Odoakpu, where Senator Joy Emodi, the Senate Committee Chairman on Education voted, materials arrived at 11.55am.

At Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area, it was alleged that materials were released for the ward quite early but they were hijacked by a prominent politician in the area.

At Onitsha South, at Immaculate Heart Fegge, St. Michael Street, Akpaka and Umuokpo, there were reported cases of ballot boxes by persons suspected to be supporters of one of the candidates in the election.

At Ward 17 in Onitsha South Local Government Area, supporters of a particular contestant were alleged to be sharing out money to voters at Metuh Memorial Secondary School.

However as at 4pm, the Anambra State Police Command said they had not received any report of the snatching of ballot boxes. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, said, "I am not aware yet of the report of ballot box snatching."

In Anambra Central Senatorial district particularly at Agulu and Nri, both in Anaocha Local Government Area; Alor in Ndemili-South LGA and Nnewi in Nnewi North LGA, our correspondents who monitored the poll said voting did not start on schedule.

In the Agulu Town Hall, where materials for the four wards in the area were distributed, poor arrangement arising from inadequate transportation of materials to the various polling units, made it impossible for the voting items to get to their final destination as at 11am.

Also in Amatutu Village Town Hall, polling unit 015 in Agulu, where the incumbent Governor Peter Obi registered, more than 80 per cent of eligible voters did not vote as they could not find their names.

In the register that contained 400 names, only 30 voters were identified and billed to vote as at 3pm.

At the Community Primary School in Agulu Ward 3, no fewer than 1,000 voters initially boycotted the election because could not find their names in the register.

Specifically in unit 015, the register contained no name, while that of unit 016 had only 38 names that was alleged to be fictitious by the voters.

According to one of the voters, Mr. Eugene Unnowu, who spoke on behalf his aggrieved colleagues at 4pm, the discovery that there was a voters' list that contained no name and another that contained only 38 names, infuriated the electorate who decided not to cast their votes.

With only five minutes to the end of voting, not more than four persons had cast their votes at polling units 015 and 016 in Agulu Ward 3 of Anaocha Local Government Area. It took the persuasion of Governor Obi before those in possession of valid voters' cards reluctantly released it to enable voters to cast their votes.

Meanwhile, some unidentified men allegedly snatched 11 ballot boxes from Okpoko Ward 1 in Ogbaru Local Government.

Eye witnesses said the unidentified persons in company with some men in police uniforms took away the ballot boxes in a mini bus.

At Amichi Ward 3, Nnewi South Local Goverment Area, two sets of voters' registers were discovered by our correspondents. One of the registers contained 255 names written on it, while the other had 306 names. The residents raised the alarm when none of their names appeared on the registers.