PHOTOS: Women protest in Anambra over disenfranchisement...

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THE NATION

PROTESTING WOMEN IN AWKA OVER DISENFRANCHISEMENT DURING SATURDAY’S GUBER ELECTION

Hundreds of women Sunday marched on the streets of Awka, Anambra State capital, protesting alleged disenfranchisement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the governorship election.
The women, most of who are from Idemili North Local Government Area, said they were denied the right to choose their leader due to late arrival of materials at the polling units on Saturday and the rescheduling.
The women said rescheduling the election to Sunday morning when most of them were in church was “a wicked act” by INEC.
They sang songs depicting their anger, saying: “We no go gree oo, we no go gree, anyi aturo vote (we did not vote), we no go gree.”
As they attempted the march on INEC headquarters in Awka, police officers stationed at the junction leading to the commission’s office stopped them.
The women dared the police to shoot them, singing in Igbo: “Iwe na ewe anyi, ehh, iwe na ewe anyi, anyi aturo nu vote oo, iwe (we are angry because we didn’t not cast our votes).”
One of the women said: “It’s our right to choose our leader. Jega promised us free and fair election, yet he failed us.
“Election didn’t hold in many local government areas yet they are preparing to announce results. Which results do they want to announce? Where did they get the results? It is a rigged result.”
Meanwhile, final collated results are still being awaited at INEC headquarters.