Abia: Otti’s LP defeated as ZLP, YPP clear LG election

The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and the Young Progressive Party (YPP) defeated Governor Alex Otti’s Labour Party (LP) in Saturday’s Abia State Local Government election.

AFRIPOST reports that the YPP secured two seats and the ZLP secured fifteen local government chairmanship while the ruling LP won none.

Prof. George Chima, the chairman of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, praised both the victors and the losers and encouraged them to have a sportsmanlike attitude after announcing the results.

Additionally, he praised the state’s security forces and other interested parties for a job well done.

He said that Abia State is calm and asked everyone to keep it that way.

The Local Government Elections in Abia on Saturday were tainted by the tardiness of the authorities’ arrival at the voting places and the distribution of election materials.

The Abia State Independent Electoral Commission failed to provide materials to the voting stations as of 11 am, as opposed to the commission’s scheduled 7 am time, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

The commission had stated that voting and accreditation would start by 8 am, with the election materials expected to reach the polling places at 7 am.

Election officials and electoral materials were not visible at several of the polling places visited in the Umuahia South, Osisioma, Aba North, and Aba South LGs.

Additionally, few people cast ballots at the different polling places that were visited around the state.

At several polling stations, a small number of potential voters were observed awaiting materials and the start of the voting process.

At the polling places visited in Umuahia South, Aba North, South, and Osisioma LGAs, voters, election officials, and security guards were noticeably missing.

NAN visited several voting places, including Ipupe Village Hall voting Unit 008 and Avonipupe Primary School Polling Units 009 and 015.

Other locations were Polling Units 007, 013, and 017 at the Umuosu Community School, and Polling Units 011 and 012 at Ogbo Central School.

Two potential voters in Ubakala, close to Umuahia, told NAN that they were disappointed that the ABSIEC had not been able to guarantee a seamless polling process.

Mrs. Joy Eze, a hairdresser, claimed that she kept an eye on her voting station to see when the polls would begin, but she ultimately continued to serve her clients as she awaited the commencement of the exercise.

Mrs. Onyinyechi Ishmael, another resident, stated that she had little interest in the polls since she had learnt from past elections that votes are not taken into account in the nation.