Soldiers banned journalists from covering the Ebonyi South senatorial zone byelection on Saturday.
A military convoy halted journalists twice, each time refusing them passage for more than 40 minutes.
when a result, journalists who departed early from Abakaliki, Ebonyi’s state capital, were unable to cover Minister of Works David Umahi when he voted at his Umunaga polling unit in Ohaozara local government area.
The two occurrences occurred on the Uburu-Abaomege route in Uburu, Ohaozara LGA.
Voter turnout has been rather low in the bye-election, despite INEC officials coming early with electoral materials.
Only 69 of the nearly 900 registered voters in the Obiozara New Market polling unit had exercised their right by 12 noon.
Some responders told The Nation that security intimidation contributed to the low turnout.
At Ishieke village square polling unit 004, just 108 of the 770 registered voters had voted at 12:24 p.m.
The polling unit is where the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Silas Onu, is registered to vote.
In nearby Umuobasi ward 1, only 69 of 422 registered voters voted.