Nyok|9 March 2019
Relatively speaking, that is, in respect of the Saturday presidential and national assembly elections, there is poor voter turn out for the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Calabar Municipality and Calabar South LGAs.
Around Watt Market/Etim Edem Park in Calabar South youths and teenagers are seen to be playing football with their peers on the tarred road not obviously keen about the ongoing electoral process. At a polling unit at Immigration Barracks opposite U.J. Esuene Sports stadium, Calabar Municipality at 10AM, the turn out of voters was very scanty despite the fact that INEC adhoc staff had already arrived. At Lutheran Primary School Atu polling area which houses four polling units, the turn out is glaringly poor. A source in Ugep in Yakurr LGA has said that, 'the turn out of voters to designated polling unit is discouraging, people don't want to come out'.
Two hours ago, Prince Charles Ekanem IV a resident in Calabar and a social media user took to his Facebook account to say, 'Poor voters turnout in Calabar Municipality.' Samuel Ekanem another resident has this to say, 'Voter apathy obvious in some PUs in CRS…Post picture of your voters' card, post pictures of your polling booth, yen yen yen. Today's total cast votes won't be up to 200k.'
INEC after the presidential and national assembly elections said there was 36% voter turn out in the 2019 general elections as compared to the 46% of 2015.
It is either there is poor voter education on the part of INEC and CSOs or political parties are not efficient in rural mobilisation.
It's in respect of this that an observation was made in respect of the presidential and national assembly elections in Cross River State thus: 'With all the Atiku support groups in Cross River State, they couldn't even raise 500,000 votes for him. This isn't good enough.' Atiku/PDP had well over 300 thousand votes, while president Buhari/APC had not up to 200 thousand.
On Thursday, the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP in Cross River State, Mr Eyo Ekpo observed that his real opponent is not the PDP or APC it is voter apathy. According to him, 'I have only one opponent, his name is Apathy. Ayade is not my opponent,he’s never been Ben Ayade has never been my opponent, he’s not worth it. That’s what I’m trying to fight. Don’t be afraid. It's not giving us quality plans or giving us achievable plans. Apathy is my enemy.'