Author: The Nation

Tens of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials at the Government Technical College (GTC) Ikotun, in Alimosho LGA, were yet to be deployed to their respective polling units for Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections as of 10:27 am.

The Nation learnt they are facing transportation issues following the inadequate number of vehicles to convey them and their materials.

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Those who spoke with The Nation in anonymity said from the GTC, they would be deployed to various parts of Alimosho LGA, including Ijegun, Igando, Ikotun, Ipaja, Egbe and environs.

Alimosho is reputed to be the largest LGA in Lagos State.

Accreditation is yet to commence at most polling units in the Ikorodu area of Lagos due to logistic reasons.

The development caused the late arrival of election materials at most polling units.

Although party agents and voters were on the ground, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were still being awaited as at10.00 a.m. at most polling units visited.

INEC had scheduled accreditation for between 8.00 am and 12 noon.

Many voters were seen waiting anxiously for the arrival of INEC officials for the accreditation, which was yet to commence in most polling units located at Itamaga, Omitoro town, Ojogbe, Beach Road, Gbasemo road, Odugate street in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

A Federal High Court on Friday granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Independent INEC from contracting, partnering or appointing Lagos State Parks Management Committee from distributing 2023 election materials and personnel in Lagos State.

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Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke, who presided over the court, made the order while delivering judgment in a suit marked FHC/L/CS//2023, filed by Labour Party, it’s governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-vivour and four others.

Other applicants in the suit are: African Democratic Congress and Boot Party and their governorship candidates, Mr. Funsho Doherty, and Wale Oluwo respectively.

Oyo Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal has arrived the Ward 6, Unit 4, Kishi, Irepo Local Government Area of the State to cast his vote.

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He arrived around 9: 56am with his wife, Ajibola.

They were warmly received at the unit by his director of Protocol.

He was then accredited and issued the ballot papers.

As of 8:43 am, voters are still waiting for the arrival of INEC officials at the four polling units on Durban Street

A voter, Mr Ogbu, who has been at his unit on Durban Street since 7 am said he was feeling awful that neither materials nor INEC had arrived at almost 9 am.

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Around 8:52 am, a bus conveying officials of INEC arrived at one of the units. The INEC officials arrived Airwaves Hotel unit on Durban Street at about 9 am.

Other units within the Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent axis started setting up at 9:15 am with voters assisting INEC officials.

The police in Gombe State on Saturday confirmed an attack on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s ad hoc staff camped at the Tudunwada Primary School in Gombe metropolis.

Commissioner of Police in Gombe, Oqua Etim, confirmed the attack in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Saturday.
”They were attacked by suspected hoodlums. It is very unfortunate, the ad hoc staff moved with materials ahead of the security personnel. That was the mistake they made.

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“They were trying to settle in before other colleagues who were to go with the security team from the INEC office.

“Unfortunately the hoodlums took advantage of that. We have taken steps to ensure that such a situation doesn’t occur again.

“This has never happened. We planned that as they leave the INEC office as a team, they will be escorted to their various locations.”

All attempts made to get INEC’s reaction on the matter failed.

All calls made to INEC Public Affairs Officer in the state, Mohorret Bigun, were not returned as of the time of filing this report.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that suspected hoodlums also stole cell phones, backpacks and power banks.

There is protest in Agudama community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State over shortage of about 48,500 ballot papers meant for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency elections.

The protesters, who gathered at Ward 4, Epie 1, which has 47 units, covering Agudama and Akenpai communities, are insisting that elections would not hold in their area until the missing ballot papers were replaced.

The Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO), Austin Atekere, said that when he and his colleagues received the materials from the INEC headquarters in Yenagoa, they were not sorted until they got to the ward headquarters.

Read Also : Voters, Police await INEC officials at Igando

He said:”When we got to our headquarters we realised that all the ballot papers for other elections were complete, except for that of the House of Representatives election. The ward has about 50,000 registered voters but we were given only 1,500 ballot papers.
“As I speak with you, people have dragged me about and almost beat me up but the quick intervention of community members saved my life. However, we have contacted INEC and they have informed us that the situation is not peculiar to Agudama/Akenpai alone.”
As of 9am, no activities were seen at the ward as restive voters were complaining all over the place about the development.
End

Voting has commenced in some polling units in Abakaliki metropolis, the capital of Ebonyi State.

The Nation reports that voters turned out as early as 7 am while electoral officers and materials arrived promptly at around 8 am.

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At St Patrick’s Station Urban polling unit 002, voters started casting their votes at around 9 am.

At Abakaliki Township Stadium, a long queue of voters had already gathered and awaited the electoral officers at 8 am.

Voting started at the polling unit following the arrival of the election officer at around 8:30 am.

Voters at the Victoria Garden City (VGC) Lagos have complained INEC officials and materials were yet to arrive the 10 polling units in the commercial and residential Units of the estate.

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Prisca Soares, one of the voters at the VGC Commercial Area, said many residents who came out as early as 7.am, were disappointed that INEC Officials and voting materials are yet to arrive by 9.30am.

She however said she has high expectations that the elections will end well despite the poor start.

Voters trooped out to the Badagry area of Lagos State as early as 7 am to exercise their civic rights.

Electoral officers and materials arrived early for accreditation while voting has since commenced.

At Polling Unit 004 located at the St Leo’s Catholic Primary School in Ikoga, Badagry, accreditation started at 8 am while voting commenced at 9 am.

A cross-section of voters expressed satisfaction with the exercise so far.

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At Polling Unit 005, accreditation has just commenced. The presiding officer attributed the delay to late arrival at the centre.

A voter, Alice Akapo said: ” I didn’t want to come here today because I was hungry and I had no money to eat because of the cash swap policy. However, I am encouraged to exercise my civic rights because I believe that the country deserves a better leader.”