Judex OKORO, Calabar
There has been an unprecedented turn out of voters in Cross River amidst heavy security presence.
When our correspondent went round some polling units in Calabar South and Municipal, it was observed that voters had long started turning out to perform their civic duties as early as 8:00am.
Polling units monitored which witnessed massive turn outs included units 2,4,5 in Ward 5 of Calabar Municipal as well as units 4 5 7, 9 and 44 in Ward 12 in Calabar South.
It was also observed that there was a heavy military presence mounted at some strategic points along Mayne Avenue, Eye Agbor, Marian Road and Calabar Road.
But the voters expressed worry at late arrivals of materials in those polling units, fearing that they might be disenfranchised in the process if they didn’t meet up with the 2:pm deadline given by INEC to end voting.
It was observed that materials arrived most of the polling centres especially within the metropolis between 10:00am and 12:30pm.
Speaking after casting his votes at Unit 5 Ward 5, Diamond Hill in Calabar Municipal about 11:00am, the presidential candidate of SDP, Mr Donald Duke, describes the exercise as relatively peaceful even as there were still some challenges.
Duke said: “I have just voted and from what I have seen here it is peaceful. But it is too early to convulsively say the outcome is excellent because in some areas, voting had not started as at 11:00am due to late arrival of materials.
‘We do hope that by 12noon all these challenges would have been overcome so that Nigeria’s would elect leaders of their choice.
‘From what I have seen now, people want to make the process work. So we expect INEC and all other agencies would live up to their billings,” he stated.