The Indigenous People of Biafra have been blamed by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the low voter turnout in the Anambra governorship election on Saturday.
INEC's Supervising Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra, Sam Egwu, told Channels TV on Sunday that the fear IPOB was able to instill in many residents contributed to the low voter turnout.
According to him, "There is a whole state of fear that has been created by the politics of agitation for a separate state in this part of the country,”
"IPOB has been able to enforce the sit-at-home order over time. So the fear of IPOB has become the beginning of wisdom."
"We have had a problem with extremely low voter turnout. The voter turnout, I think, if you are scientific in terms of what we are seeing in many local governments, you are actually dealing with less than 25 per cent voter turnout, and this is not really good for our democracy," he said.
The Anambra governorship election was declared inconclusive by INEC on Monday, and a supplementary election will be held in 362 polling units in the Ihiala Local Government Area on Tuesday, November 9.
With the All Progressives Grand Alliance's candidate, Prof. Charles Soludo, leading the polls, INEC's Returning Officer, Prof. Florence Obi, said a winner could not be declared because the margin of victory was insufficient.
Despite technical issues, logistical challenges, and security concerns, the governorship election was held in 20 of Anambra's 21 LGAs.
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