By Chimaobi Nwaiwu
Ahead of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State, commercial activities in the area, including the buying and selling of food items, went into top gear on Friday as residents flooded food and consumer goods markets to make last-minute purchases to sustain themselves while the electoral activities last.
From Ose Okwodu Market to Slaughter Market, Grain Seed Market, popularly known as Ogbo Tomato, to Megafu Market, Ekene Junction, Onitsha, residents were seen buying all they needed to eat from Saturday to Tuesday, until market activities resumed fully.
Some of the residents who spoke with Saturday Vanguard said that shopping for food items has become very imperative, following the fact that they were not sure food markets would open on the election day, since the traders, particularly the women, who trade in those markets and are major voters in the election, would like to cast their votes for their candidates.
Mrs Caroline Ejike, who spoke with Saturday Vanguard, said, “As you know, the Saturday governorship election is very crucial to Ndi Anambra; we are not sure if the food item markers will open while the election is going on. You equally know that on election days, movements are restricted only to areas where voting takes place.”
“You will also agree with me that most of the food item markets do not operate fully or don’t even operate at all on Sunday’s, and you know what happens in this part of our country on Mondays, people still observe sit-at-home on Mondays and so we need to buy what our families will eat from now to Tuesday, when all trading and marketing activities will fully resume in the state.
“As you can see, the number of traders in this market has reduced drastically. You have more buyers than traders now because many of the traders will vote in their hometowns, and many have travelled to their villages to cast their votes. The election is important to all of us. So you can imagine what the situation will be in the food item markets from now to Tuesday.
Saturday Vanguard also noticed a large presence of commuters at the bus stops and motor parks, who want to travel to their respective villages in the state to cast their votes.
Mr. Ikechukwu Nwosu and Cyprain Okafor, passengers who spoke with Saturday Vanguard at a bus stop along Oguta Road, Onitsha, and Upper Iweka, Onitsha, respectively, while traveling to Enugu Ukwu and Nnewi, respectively, disclosed that there has been a sharp increase in transport fare to their respective locations.
However, from the people who spoke with Saturday Vanguard and the mood of the environment in Onitsha, the commercial city of the state, it is clear that people are in high spirits to cast their votes. Nevertheless, one constant question in their minds is, “Will our votes count?”
The people are, therefore, calling on the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to write his name in gold with free and fair conduct of the Anambra governorship election, which is his first major election assignment. They added that the election is an “acid test” for the INEC boss and should not fail the test.
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