Enugu State, Feb. 1, 2024 (NAN): Security has been beefed up in Igboeze North and Udenu Federal Constituencies of Enugu State ahead of the scheduled re-run election on Saturday, Feb. 3.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the constituency is made up of Igboeze North and Udenu local government areas.
NAN recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed the re-run election in line with the directive of a Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos.
The Court had nullified the election of Mr. Dennis Agbo of the Labour Party (LP) in an appeal filed by the APC candidate, Dr. Oby Ajih, and mandated INEC to conduct a fresh election for all political parties involved within 90 days.
The Appeal Court ordered a re-run in 176 polling units out of 532 polling units, which was less than 30 percent of the polling units in the constituency.
Investigations by NAN showed that, though the polling units for the re-run were less than 30 percent of the entire polling units in the constituency, there was tension, especially in Igboeze North, where the bulk of the re-run would be taking place.
Moreso, the two leading candidates, the incumbent, Agbo of the LP, and Mr. Simon Atigwe of the PDP, are both from Igboeze North.
Prior to the 2023 general elections, the local government area was one of the high-risk areas, hence the large deployment of security operatives including the Army, Police, Civil Defence, and local vigilantes, known as Neighbourhood Watch.
In a telephone interview, the chieftain of LP in Igboeze North, Mr. Ignatius Odo, said the party was ready to reclaim its mandate.
“We are ready to take back our mandate, no matter the intimidation and harassment,” he said.
In a related development, a top PDP chieftain, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the party was ready to take back the constituency from the Labour Party.
“They are coming from nowhere to take what naturally belongs to us; we are collecting it back, whether they like it or not,” he said.
A voter, Mrs. Lauretta Ugwuanyi from Ozzi community, where a re-run is scheduled to take place, told NAN that she was already scared of coming out to vote on Saturday.
“I am scared; look at the soldiers, police neighbourhood watch, and civil defence everywhere; it is scary,” she said.
In the Udenu local government area, there is less tension as only about 41 polling booths are involved.
The involvement of former governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi from the Orba area, where most of the re-run is scheduled and the Obollo Eke area, where the incumbent House of Assembly member, Solomon Onah, hails from, makes that of Udenu less volatile.
Mr. Solomon Ugwueze, a teacher from Orba, told NAN that most people are not interested in the election.
“Which election are you talking about? Many people here are not even aware of it.
“People are no longer interested in the INEC election; personally, I am not going to waste my time,” Ugwueze said. (NAN)
