Anambra South Senatorial district by-election scheduled for today kicked off smoothly in polling units in the seven council areas that make up the district. Daily Independent while monitoring the election in Nnewi South council area particularly found that the electorate in these areas were exercising their franchise, voting freely for candidates of their choice. Candidates of twelve political parties were cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to contest the election. In some areas, the alleged kidnap of a Reverend gentle man by bouncers and personnel of the state security outfit known as “Udogachi”, attached to the state Deputy Governor which held up the elections for some hours left a sore taste in the mouth. At the polling unit, 012 in Dimala village hall, ward 2, Osumenyi community, where the APC candidate in the November 8, governorship election, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu voted at about 12. 05 pm, the Presiding Officer, Peter Chinemere, said that voting commenced smoothly and that people were showing up gradually. “There is no issue at the moment, and we have already accredited 32 voters who have exercised their franchise. More are coming,” he said, adding, “They come, get accredited, vote, and go.” Daily Independent found that at Polling unit 003 at Obiuno village in the same Osumenyi, about 13 people had been accredited as at 10.30 am, while at Obiofia village, polling unit 013, the P.O., Chijioke Nwafor, said about 120 accredited voters had voted as at 12.27 am. Shortly after, a convoy of some vehicles approached the area and stopped a man identified as Pastor Marcel Akaogu. The convoy belonged to the Deputy Governor of Anambra state, Dr. Alex Ibezim. The retinue of very hefty bouncers, armed operatives of Udo Gachi security out fit in Anambra who were part of the convoy pounced on the man after a brief interrogation, tied and hauled him into the carriage of their security van like a subdued cow and gave him a beating of his life allegedly on the orders of the Deputy Governor. The Deputy Governor it was learnt was on monitoring of the election in Osumenyi, the home town of of the APC candidate in the November 8, polls, Prince Ukachukwu. The scenario played out until some youth in the area mustered the courage to confront them.Ukachukwu whose attention was later drawn to the scene intervened to secure the man’s release and avert what would have resulted to avoidable blood shed. “They stopped me, searched me, and found the N200,000. I withdrew from the POS people about 30 minutes before, and asked if it belonged to me, and I affirmed that it was mine. They seized it and asked me why I had such an amount of money with me on election day, and took my money. They kidnapped and dragged me to their van, beat me mercilessly, stole my money, my wrist watch, and my voter’s card, and asked me to face the floor of the van. “I am a pastor and I withdrew the money for two purposes, to buy food stuffs for my family after voting because I was going to the polling booth before they stopped me in the way, and to pay my children’s school fees before the reopening of next term in September as I used to do. I didn’t do anything and they just beat me up as they liked ” the victim, Marcel told Daily Independent. The Deputy Governor, Dr. Ibezim who initially declined comments told Daily Independent after much prodding that he was just being told. “Somebody withdrew N200,000 and is taking it to the polling unit right. Things like this are handled systematically”, he said as his aides prevented him from speaking further. At Awor hall, polling unit 003, in Ezinifite community, also in Nnewi South council area, the PO, Chimezie Christiana, said that 90 voters had been accredited and voted as at 12.37 pm when Daily Independent monitored the area. A native of the community who carved anonymity said that a certain Commissioner for Environment in the Soludo administration who hails from the area had been inducing voters financially to vote for APGA because his principal tasked members of his cabinet from the South zone to. deliver their polling units if they still want to work with him. At the polling unit were over 50 members of the Udo Gachi security, allegedly deployed at the instance of the commissioner and the local government chairman, to intimidate voters against voting for candidates of their choice other than APGA’s. They were there cocking their guns, frisking voters. Their actions chased away voters as voting was held up for several hours.