Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, has said he is very optimistic about winning today’s poll.
The former Vice President spoke after voting at his polling unit at the Commissioners Quarters, polling unit 12 with his wife.
“I am very optimistic about today’s election, we do not expect uniform expectations all around the country, there is also a great turnout of credible voters. It shows that we are improving in our elections,” he said.
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 tight security in Kogi State to provide a conducive environment for voters in the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The Nation observed that as early as 7am roads in the state capital, Lokoja and the ever-busy Lokoja-Okene highway were relatively free of vehicular traffic compared to other days.
The police mounted a road-block on both sides of the dual carriageway on IBB Road in Lokoja.
The officers on duty were seen denying access to a few vehicles, commercial motorcyclists and tricycles.
Solders also mounted roadblocks at both Obajana Junction, Osara and another point at about 10 kilometers from Obajana junction.
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.
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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.
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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.”
Senator Oluremi, the wife of the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, arrived at her Polling Unit 034 Falomo in Lagos at exactly 8.50 am.
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine for polling unit 023, Offa Road in Sokoto broke down as voters lined up to exercise their franchise.
At 9:32 am voters were still waiting for the issue to be addressed so they could vote.
Presiding Officer, Grace Francis, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member said she had called the Registration Officer to fix the problem.
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“We have called the RO and we hope to fix it so voting can commence. The RO is on his way as we speak. Everything is set. We have no other issues but this one. As soon as this matter is addressed, we would commence in earnest,” she said.
Voters in some polling units in the Iba Local Council Development Area of Lagos are bemoaning the absence of INEC officials.
The Nation observed that despite the large turnout by the voters, the continuous absence of INEC officials is giving them concerns.
Some of them said they arrived at the polling unit as early as 7 am to exercise their civic duty.
They called on INEC to direct their officials to move to the designated polling units.
Efforts to speak with the INEC Electoral Officer in Ojo Local Government, Sodiq Ayinla, were unsuccessful.
His phone could not be reached.
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However, The Nation learnt that there were no enough vehicles to move the materials and INEC officials to their polling units.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday perpetually restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from engaging the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, led by Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, a.k.a. MC Oluomo, for distributing 2023 election materials and personnel.
Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke gave the order while delivering judgment in suit FHC/L/CS/271/2023 filed by three political parties and their gubernatorial candidates in Lagos State.