The Bye and Return elections held in 6 local government Areas of Rivers State on 23/2/13 were greeted by low turn-out of voters, signifying the fact that the apathy that characterised the last council elections in the state still holds sway.
Our correspondent who monitored the re-run election in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Ward 5, reported that turn-out of voters was very poor. According to him, some of such as 9,210 units, recorded low voters when voting commenced. Most of the few voters that turned at the polling units came with no voters’ card or any type of identification as stipulated by law.
Meanwhile the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC has declared results in 5 out of the 6 local government areas where elections were conducted.
Announcing the results on behalf of the Chairman of RSIEC, Prof. Augustine Ahiauzu, the Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Mr. Sam Woka said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the election in 5 Councils, namely Eleme, Opobo/Nkoro, Asari-Toru, Khana and Ahoada East. Result of Oyigbo ward 8 elections, he said was undergoing scrutiny and will be released later.
A breakdown of the scores show that in Asari-Toru ward 5, PDP scored 124 out of total votes of 140 cast, to beat ACN with 5 votes.
In Khana ward 17, PDP also beat other political parties with 1626 votes out of 1726 total votes cast. He said.
The story was not different in Ahoada East ward 2, as PDP polled 173 out of total votes cast of 286 to beat its closest rival, ACN with 100 votes.
The PDP was declared un-opposed in Eleme ward 6 and Opobo/Nkoro ward 1 being the only contestants in the two LGAs. ###
Barth Ndu
