Author: The Nation

As of 9:30 am, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were yet to arrive the Rumeme polling unit of Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike.

Security operatives at the unit and some voters were seen waiting for the electoral officials and materials

Read Also ; Obasanjo’s polling unit awaits INEC officials, materials.

At the Rumeme RAC centre, the electoral officials were seen waiting for the arrival of materials meant for various units in the area.

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Photo of Wike’s polling unit as at 9:30am

Former South Africa President and Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Nigeria, Thabo Mbeki, has said the group was hopeful of a peaceful election following the signing of a peace accord by political parties.

Speaking in an interview on NTA, Mbeki noted that political parties have expressed confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to handle the polls effectively.

” We are hoping for peaceful elections. The parties signed the peace agreement and we hope they stick to that. All the parties we spoke to have shown confidence in INEC’s ability to handle the polls,” he said.

Read Also : Obasanjo’s polling unit awaits INEC officials, materials

He said all eyes were on the country since it is an important member of the Commonwealth.

“We are going round to observe the election. The election in Nigeria will be closely watched. Nigeria is an important member of the Commonwealth. Everyone is paying attention to the election,” he said.

Ondo central senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Ifedayo Adedipe has not been able to vote due to the inability of the BVAS to capture him.

Adedipe at his polling unit one Ward 9 Oba Ile Estate in Akure, saw his name on the displayed voters’ list.

Read Also; INEC confirms collection of 241,091 PVCs, 3,991 BVAS in Sokoto

He told journalists that he has always voted at the polling unit where his name could not be found in the BVAS.

Adedipe, however, urged other voters having similar experiences to exercise patience.

Police operatives in Lagos have recovered about 1,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) abandoned in Ago Palace Way, Okota.

The PVCs, it was gathered, were dumped around Last Bus Stop area of Ago on Friday evening.

It was learnt that some residents who first saw the PVCs opened the packs and were calling out names so that owners could get them.

Read Also ; INEC investigates PVCs found in Anambra forest

The Nation learnt that massive crowd soon gathered at the scene which prompted the police to retrieve the cards to prevent chaos.

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has voted at the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Governor arrived at his polling unit 006, Eiyekole Ward, at St. Stephen’s Primary School, Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area with his wife, Ibijoke by 10.16 am.

Read Also ; Tinubu, Sanwo Olu ‘to get huge’ votes

They were accredited by 10.21 am and voted at 10.25 am.

Sanwo-Olu, who described the process as peaceful, prayed it will continue like that all over the country.

“This is a good turnout, and the process has been peaceful without any incident at all. I am hoping the whole country will be reflective of what’s happening here,” he said.

Accreditation and voting commenced at Suleja Emir’s Palace Polling Unit 003 at 8:25 am

Preference was given to the elderly and those with health challenges.

The Presiding Officer, Suleiman Usman, commended the voters for orderliness and peaceful conduct.

He however complained about the challenge his team was facing with the BVAS in face detection.

He said: “We started around 8:25 am and only about 14 people have been able to vote as of 9:51 because of the difficulty in face detection by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)

Read Also ; BVAS breaks down in Sokoto

“Aside the poor performance of the BVAS, voters have conducted themselves well.”

A team of Observers from the European Union Election Observation Mission was present at the polling unit.

Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, wore a solemn look on Saturday morning as residents started trooping out to vote in today’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Nation observed that voting commenced at polling unit 16, Ward 11 and polling unit 15, Ward 11 – both in African Church Grammar School Ita Eko -Abeokuta, around 8.40.am. and 8.48a.m respectively.

The turnout of voters was quite low compared to what was obtained in the same units and wards in previous elections.

Accreditation of voters through the BVAS took an average of three minutes per person. At polling unit 16, the first person to be accredited via the Personal Voter Card(PVC) identification process failed repeatedly but when the Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System(BVAS) was used for him, the process succeeded.

At former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s polling unit 2, Ward 11 located at Olushomi compound, Totoro – Sokori area of Abeokuta, anxious voters were seen waiting patiently for the INEC officials and electoral materials to arrive the venue but as of 9.05a.m, they were not yet around.

The Nation learnt that a wrong BVAS machine was deployed to the Obasanjo’s polling unit and when the error was discovered, it had to return to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office Magbon, Abeokuta for remedy.

Read Also ; Voters, Police await INEC officials at Igando

At unit 35, Kemta Estate, Abeokuta, registered voters started gathering in their numbers in readiness to cast their votes.

The electoral officers arrived at the unit around 7.03 am with all the necessary materials ready, according to one of them who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity.

Security operatives – Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were also around to provide security to the venue.

However, as of 8.03 am two commercial buses carrying electoral materials and personnel pulled up briefly at Sapon, the epic centre of the recent Cash Crunch protest that rocked Ogun State in early February, before taking off again to their destinations.

There was late arrival of election materials in Enugu metropolis and most areas of the State.

Voting was scheduled to begin by 8.30 am but as at 9.30am, eofficials and materials were seen just arriving in some places such as Okpara Square, Government Technical College and others.

Read Also ; INEC officials yet to arrive Shettima’s polling unit

However, at Ibagwa-Nike primary school, Idaw River Primary School, Uwani Secondary School, Obiagu Primary School and many other voting centres, election materials and officials were yet to arrive as of the time of filing this report as voters hang around at polling units.