Mr Osborne Umahi, APC chairmanship candidate in Ohaozara, cast his ballot Saturday, expressing optimism of victory and pledging youth and infrastructure development.
Umahi, son of the Minister of Works, Chief David Umahi, voted at about 11:36 a.m. at Onu-Ofukuru Polling Unit, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
He was accompanied to the polling unit by his mother, Mrs Rachel Umahi, wife of the Minister of Works.
The polling unit has 1,200 registered voters.
Speaking with journalists after casting his ballot, Umahi expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the election and urged voters to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
“I am delighted with what I have seen here. The election is peaceful, orderly and transparent, and I believe this is what democracy should be about,” he said.
Umahi expressed confidence that the APC would emerge victorious, saying: “I am optimistic of a landslide victory because the people have shown tremendous support for our party.”
He said his administration, if elected, would prioritise youth empowerment and infrastructure development.
“Two areas that will form the cornerstone of my administration are youth development and infrastructure,” he said.
According to him, the council needs programmes that will equip young people with skills, create opportunities and enable them to contribute meaningfully to the development of Ohaozara.
“We will give our youths the opportunity to participate actively in the development of our local government. They are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are important stakeholders today,” he said.
On infrastructure, the APC candidate pledged to pursue projects that would improve living conditions and stimulate economic activities across the council.
“We will focus on infrastructure that has direct impact on the people and supports economic growth in our communities,” he said.
Umahi commended voters for turning out to exercise their franchise and urged political actors and supporters to accept the outcome of the election in the spirit of democracy.
“I appeal to everybody to remain calm and law-abiding. At the end of the day, the will of the people must prevail,” he said.
The election is being conducted across Ebonyi State to elect chairmen and councillors for the state’s local government areas.
The newly elected chairmen are expected to be sworn into office on Sept. 1.
Umahi’s voting at Onu-Ofukuru came amid increased political activities across Ohaozara, with voters exercising their franchise in the local government election.
