Anambra: Sale of voters’ cards booms

It has emerged that the voter’s card, the instrument which enables citizens to cast their votes for the election has turned into a marketable commodity in some communities in the state.
Politicians are being accused of procuring voters’ cards at the rate of N5000 each in Aguleri and some neighbouring communities.
It was gathered that gullible villagers have been falling prey to the development and as they part with their voters’ card, they inform others and the business has been booming.
A very reliable source said yesterday that apart from Aguleri, that the business is also booming in villages in Anambra East local government area where two of the major governorship candidates, Tony Nwoye (PDP) and Willie Obiano (APGA) hail from.
It was learnt that following the development in the area, people from the neighbouring Ayamelum local government have been trooping to Anambra East to also sell their cards for N5000.
An official of INEC, however, dismissed the market, saying that with what the commission has put on ground, it would be useless for such cards to be used by anybody.
He however warned that it is an offence for anybody to purchase voters cards, adding that anybody caught would face the wrath of the security agencies.
Why we are behind Nwoye -PDP
PDP State Chairman Prince Ken Emeakayi has buttressed reasons for putting the support of the state PDP machine behind the candidate, Tony Nwoye.
In an interview following the Court of Appeal judgment, Emeakayi said that besides the order of the courts, that Nwoye overwhelmingly won the party primaries that had several other party giants like Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, Jerry Ugwoke, Emma Anosike among others as participants.
“You know PDP is a law abiding political party, we abide by court decisions. Nwoye won overwhelmingly the primaries of the party after which the Federal High Court in its judgment gave judgment in favour of Ukachukwu and which was why the party obeyed and now, the Court of Appeal has given judgment in favour of Tony Nwoye.
So, the party is bound by the judgment.”
He rebuffed insinuations that the court order came after the deadline for the substitution of party candidates saying:
“Going by the provisions of the Electoral Act after submission it is only the courts that can alter that and that is what the court did and it has nothing to do with the deadline.
Meanwhile, we have been campaigning. As you are aware, the name of the candidate is never on the ballot, it is the political party. We have been campaigning and we are ready for the election.”

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