A 74-year-old visually impaired man, Pa Julius Nwafor, was one of the early enthusiastic voters who thronged the Umuezeadigo Street Polling Unit 002 in Isuofia community, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday.
He arrived as early as 7:30 am, led to the venue by his elderly daughter.
74 -year-old visually impaired man being led to his polling unit in Isuofia community. Photo: Dele Ogunyemi
Isuofia is the hometown of incumbent Governor Charles Soludo, just as Aguata LGA is one of the seven local government areas comprising Anambra South.
Nwafor, a veteran trader, told PUNCH Online that he saw the election as a matter of compulsion for him as a patriotic Nigerian.
“Even though I am visually impaired, as far as I am a Nigerian, I am supposed to vote to satisfy my conscience. And that’s why I am here,” he said.
74 -year-old visually impaired man being led to his polling unit in Isuofia community. Photo: Dele Ogunyemi
Commenting on the early turnout of voters at the polling unit, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, who is one of the ten Election Logistics Technical Support Electoral Commissioners deployed to monitor the Anambra election, expressed delight at the people’s interest in the exercise.
“It is obvious they are ready, considering the orderliness and the rate they are coming in,” he stated.
He noted that immediately after the accreditation of voters using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, voting would commence at 8:30 am.
PUNCH Online reports that the Anambra governorship poll holds today, with 16 candidates seeking to oust the incumbent, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.