ABIA: APC collation officer abducted as explosion rocks polling unit during bye-election

THERE was pandemonium at the Umuola hall polling unit in Ward 8 following an explosion that rocked the unit today.

It was gathered that voters who had filed out to exercise their franchise in the ongoing bye-election in the state scampered off to safety while the pandemonium lasted.

The election process was going on at the unit in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State when the explosion occurred. The cause of the explosion was not known as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, Mike Ozoemena, a loyalist of former governor Orji Uzor Kalu, has reportedly been abducted by gunmen hours before the commencement of voting in the local government.

Ozoemena is said to be a collation officer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the bye-election.

He is also the director of publicity of Mascot Uzor-Kalu, the APC candidate in the election

However, voters later returned to the polling unit after the momentary disruption the explosion caused.

There has been tension regarding the election being conducted to fill the vacant seat for the Aba north-south federal constituency at the House of Representatives.

It was not immediately clear the cause of the explosion but security agents were mobilised to the scene.

There is no official information yet on the damage caused by the explosion.