2023 Election: Food, Drinks Boom At Polling Units

As voters await their turns to make choices on who to occupy the presidential seat of power in the nation for the next four years, smart entrepreneurs who sell food, drinks and water made brisk money in addition to casting of votes.
Cueing up under the hot sun to cast votes provided opportunities for others to make money as hunger  and  taste sets in.
A food saler at lwofe, Mrs Chidinma Obialor told The Tide that the election has created opportunity for her to make money from her business.
Mrs. Obialor said people left their houses very early to take numbers at the polling unit and have no alternatives than to patronise her business to avoid fainting.
“No matter how scarce cash is, food is a priority for any human being who wants to continue living. I know l will make a lot of sales today, so l prepared for it”, she said.
She also noted that water sells more than food, as those who do not have enough money to eat buy water to hold themselves till they are done voting.
Another entrepreneur, Mrs Ozioma Uchendu, who sells the local zobo drink and water, said her efforts to prepare the zobo drink in addition to water paid off, adding that, “standing on a cue for a long time makes one’s throat to dry up and that is where l am needed.
“I have not seen this number of crowd since l started coming out here to vote. This year’s election pulled crowd but it is unfortunate that the BVAS in our station, Apaogodo Rumuepirikon, Unit 006, Rumueme (7A) refused to work till 1 pm.
She noted that more than 680 voters were disenfranchised, as the officials shot down by 7pm when the crowd have not voted.
Uchendu noted that her being there since morning would have been so painful but for the money she made in selling her drinks, “which is my consolation for spending the whole day here”.
She reiterated the need for Nigeria to grow up, adding that the citizens were thinking that INEC will get it right this time around but, “it is the same old story, no single change in the process instead it is worse.
Another voter, who pleaded anonymity said the process is nothing but betrayal of trust.
“Nigerians want to continue the suffering, if not, there would have been a firm decision by all not to be used to pervert the process. I wonder what will ever make me to come out from my house again to participate in the voting process”, he said.

By: Lilian Peters