The Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) performed exceptionally well during the just-concluded elections.

Agubuzu said this during a “Post-Election Appraisal Stakeholders Meeting”, which was organised by INEC in Enugu on Monday.

He noted that it was the first time some communities within difficult terrain in the state, where elections hardly start on time, had materials before 7:00 a.m. and election kicked-off at 8:00 a.m. prompt.

The chairman said that the arrangement was relatively perfect in terms of timing and arrival of materials and personnel, adding that INEC staff were well-cultured and respective during the election.

Chairman of the Enugu Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Rex Arum, said that he monitored more than eight local government areas where he discovered that INEC made serious arrangement for the polls.

“However, the postponement of the election was a little dent to the election as it affected the livelihood of most Nigerians and led to cancellation of most events within the period,” he said.

Mr Isaac Onukwuba, Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Enugu State, applauded INEC in all respect of the election, saying that the commission put in place a lot of efforts, time and money to ensure election success in the state.

Onukwuba, however, said that the people of the state did not show expected interest and reciprocity in the election, adding that the voters’ turnout was very low given a population of 1.9 million voters.

SP Kevin Nwagwu, who represented the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Suleiman Balarabe, said that during the election that was serious security breach at any polling booth as all officers both those of sister worked in synergy.

“It is the most peaceful and secured election in recent times in the state and the police is general grateful to other sister security agencies for a hitch-free election,” Balarabe said.

Chief Imam of Nsukka, Alhaji Adam Ugwuanyi, thanked the Federal and state governments for creating enabling environment for hitch-free and violence-free elections in the state.

Ugwuanyi, however, urged INEC to do more enlightenment for the residents to participate massively in up-coming elections in the state.

Miss Oge Enwerem, who represented the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), said that INEC Enugu office deployed social media to carry everyone along and explained every move of the commission to its stakeholders.

Enwerem, who is with Divine Era and Social Right Development Initiative, noted that the CSO lauded INEC election conduct in Enugu and making sure that the vote of the people count.

Comrade Sam Obiefuna, who represented People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), said that INEC performed creditably well even beyond the calculation of many people.

“This is the first time PLWDs were fully carried along and even allowed to be observers in an election. Our group observed a well-arranged and coordinated elections,” Obiefuna, who is with Disability Policy and Empowerment Consult, said.

Earlier, Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, who took time to enumerate all INEC did before and during the general election, said that cumulative report of monitors and observers of the election scored Enugu very high.

“While the assessment of INEC National Office shows that the conduct of election in Enugu State was the best,” Ononamadu said.

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