By Desire Emmanuel, with Agency Reports
A 90-year-old woman, Madam Elizabeth Onike, on Saturday burst into tears at Umudim Akasi Polling Unit 019, Agulu Ward 8, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, after she was barred from voting during the governorship election held on Saturday, November 8.
The nonagenarian, who said she had been voting at the polling unit for many years, arrived to cast her vote, but an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) demanded for her permanent voter’s card, but due to her inability to produce it, she was told she could not vote.
As a result of this, the elderly woman broke down in tears and expressed her disappointment over the insistence of the INEC officials that she could not vote.
She was said to have told the officials that her voter’s card was with one of her children who is currently not in the state, but all her explanations fell on the deaf ears of the INEC official.
Onike, a regular voter at the polling unit, expressed her disappointment with the development, which she described as unfortunate.
“I have been voting at this polling unit. I voted in the last election, but the INEC officials said I have no valid voter card.
“My children are outside the state and one of them has my voter’s card with him. None of them is currently in the state or at home with me.
“I am pained that I am not going to vote in this election to determine who will be my next governor,” she told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Igbo dialect at the polling unit before she left in disappointment.
