While the Enugu North Senatorial by-election got off to a calm and orderly start on Saturday, one issue stood out across the district, a noticeably low turnout of voters.

The Enugu North Senatorial District by-election kicked off peacefully on Saturday, with election officials and materials arriving on time in most areas. However, despite the smooth start, many polling units recorded a disappointing turnout as voters trickled in throughout the morning.

Reports from across the six local government areas showed that voting and accreditation began as scheduled in several polling centres, although a few locations with challenging terrain experienced slight delays.

At the Amaechenu Polling Unit in Nsukka Local Government Area, an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who preferred not to be named, confirmed that voting started early. Even so, only a handful of voters were present.

A similar situation was observed in Ogbodu Aba Community in Udenu Local Government Area, where voting commenced around 10 a.m. Community leader Sunday Ugwueke described the process as smooth and peaceful.

*"I have just voted. They started around 10 a.m. and it has been peaceful,"* he said.

The Chairman of Udenu Local Government Area, Aka Eze-Aka, also cast his vote at the Agamede Polling Unit in Obollo Eke at approximately 9:10 a.m. He praised both INEC and Governor Peter Mbah for ensuring a peaceful and well-organised exercise.

Political stakeholders from the major parties also expressed satisfaction with the process. Chris Ezema, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nsukka LGA, and Desmond Onah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commended INEC for the timely distribution of electoral materials.

By around 9:37 a.m., accreditation and voting were already underway in many polling units, including Union Primary School and Township Primary School polling centres in Nsukka. Nonetheless, voter numbers remained noticeably low.

Residents who had already voted praised the early arrival of election officials and security personnel. Ngozi Agbo noted that INEC staff and security operatives were present as early as 8 a.m., while Vincent Ugwu also commended the prompt commencement of the exercise at his polling unit.

Across all polling stations visited, security personnel were visible and there were no reports of violence or disruption. The major concern remained the low voter participation.

Interestingly, although major markets in Nsukka were closed for the election, several shops, businesses and filling stations still opened for normal activities.

The by-election was necessitated by the passing of Senator Okechukwu Ezea, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District until his death in November 2025.

Five political parties are contesting the seat, including the APC, PDP, NDC, Labour Party (LP) and the Boot Party.

Source: Cbinewstv

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