The All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Osbourne Umahi, has commended the peaceful conduct of the state’s local government elections.
Umahi, son of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, spoke shortly after casting his vote at his Onuofukulu polling unit in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara LGA.
He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, saying the peaceful atmosphere would allow the votes to reflect the wishes of the electorate.
“I’m satisfied with the conduct of the election so far. I’m happy to see that everything has been peaceful,” he said.
Umahi also expressed hope that the peaceful conduct would be maintained through the conclusion of voting and the collation of results.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Valentine Okike-Uzor, who voted at his Onu Borehole polling unit in Onicha LGA, described participation in the election as a constitutional right.
He urged whoever emerges as chairman to serve all residents of the local government irrespective of their political affiliations.
“After today, the chairman becomes the chairman of everybody in the local government, not just one political party,” Okike-Uzor said.
The commissioner also expressed confidence in voter mobilisation and dismissed allegations of vote-buying at his polling unit.
The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Francis Ori, also commended the conduct of the election after casting his vote at Onuofukulu polling unit in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara LGA.
Ori thanked Governor Francis Nwifuru for what he described as the peaceful atmosphere in the state and commended the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) for conducting the election.
He said the turnout at his polling unit reflected the interest of residents in local government administration.
Meanwhile, Senator Anthony Ani, representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District, described the election as a demonstration of the state’s commitment to democratic principles.
Ani, who voted in Onicha LGA, said the state remained peaceful, adding that adequate security measures had been deployed to ensure a smooth electoral process.
“Today’s election shows that we have embraced the principles of democracy,” he said.
On the debate over whether local government elections should be conducted every two or four years, Ani said the duration was less important than the quality of governance delivered by elected officials.
According to him, the priority should be ensuring that emerging local government administrations provide tangible dividends of democracy and remain accountable to the people.
Also speaking after voting in Ishiagu, Ivo LGA, the member representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Kama Nkemkanma, expressed satisfaction with the voting process.
Nkemkanma said the turnout recorded in areas he visited showed that residents remained interested in local government administration.
“You can see that people are still coming out to vote. That means people are interested in what we’re doing. They are certainly interested in local government,” he said.
The lawmaker expressed confidence in an APC victory while urging all candidates who emerge victorious to prioritise the interests and welfare of the people.
