Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed disappointment with the malfunctioning of the Bimodal machines being used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct the ongoing gubernatorial election in the state.
He stated this while speaking with journalists after casting his vote at his Umudim Akasi ward two, unit 019, in Agulu Community, Anaocha local government area of the state.
Obi who charged INEC on adequate preparations by providing functional equipment and early distribution of necessary materials for conduct of elections in the country, called for extension of time to accommodate those who may have been faced with complaints about the malfunctioned bimodal machines and delay in the arrival of electoral materials across the state.
The former Governor who was accredited and voted at about 1:17pm with his wife, Margret, expressed disappointment that a lot of people had called him to show their concern that materials didn’t arrive early as expected while the Bimodal machines disrupted the voting process during the election.
He noted that he and his family voted without any hitch amid large turnout as it had always been the case during any election in the area.
He said, “I have been here since morning for this process to start and it took a while for it to commence. But now that it has started it getting well but I have been getting calls from across the state.
“For most communities the issue of none arrival of all voting materials a Ross the state is not working and of course here (Agulu town) it takes delays for a long time which shouldn’t be.
“However, there should be an improvement; now that they have started, I have voted and in this booth there’s always voters turnout and it had always been.”
Obi also lamented that the exercise was characterised generally by late arrival of voting materials and malfunctioning of the Bimodal voting gadgets of the INEC.
He said, “I have been waiting since morning for the voting to start, and, people have been calling me from across the state complaining of lack of arrival of voting materials at the polling units, and, when the voting started, the Bimodal machines are not working, which shouldn’t be.”
“My appeal is that no eligible voter should be allowed to go without voting.”
He attributed the low voters turnout to the earlier threats to stop the governorship election from holding by the Indigenous People of Biafra, and, noted that voters turn out improved later in the day.
