Anambra Decides: 96-year-old Woman Weeps after INEC Declares She’s Ineligible to Vote, Insists “I Have Been Voting at this Polling Unit”

She also expressed regret that she will not be able to determine who the next Anambra State governor will be.

A 96-year-old Anambra woman, identified as Mrs. Elizabeth Onike, broke down in tears on Saturday morning after electoral officers told her that she did not possess a valid voters’ card to participate in the ongoing off-cycle governorship election in the state.

​The incident occurred at Umudim Akasi Polling Unit 019, Agulu II, Ward 8, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state. The polling unit, which witnessed a large turnout, has a total of 830 registered voters.

​The elderly woman was in the queue to exercise her voting right when she was later informed by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) presiding officer that she could not vote.

​Reacting to her disenfranchisement, Mrs. Onike insisted she had been participating in elections at the same polling unit with the same voters’ card.

She, however, expressed regret that she would not be able to determine who would be the next governor of the state.

​Speaking in Igbo, she said: ​“I have been voting at this polling unit. I voted in the last election, but the INEC officials said I have no valid voters’ card.

​“My children are outside, and none is 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.”