Voting counting begins as Nigeria’s presidential election records some hitches
Abuja. As voting counting starts in many polling stations in Nigeria’s seventh presidential elections since 1999 when the nation returned to civilian rule, some reports have emerged of late voting and attacks on polling stations.
Some polling stations are reported to have opened late because of delay in arrival of polling officers, leaving voters stranded.
The Vice Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Kashim Shettima, who was accompanied by the Governor of Northeast Borno state, Mr Babagana Zulum, left the polling station angry because of lack of polling officers.
Mr Shettima who was at the Maiduguri metropolis ward could not vote due to the absence of election officials.
Mr Shettima arrived at the polling unit around 10 a.m. and met many other voters waiting for the arrival of both election materials and officials.
Thugs disrupted voting process in Elegushi, Ikate area of Lekki and other parts of Lagos State.
“At my polling unit here near the Oba Elegushi’s palace, some thugs did not allow us to vote,’’ Mr Sylvanus Okoro complained.
There were also reports of disruptions in other areas in Lagos including Aguda, Ojo, Oshodi among others.
The Lagos Police Commissioner of Police, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, confirmed that there were 'isolated incidences of crime' in some parts of Lagos.
“It was an a mixture of very peaceful conduct in most parts but we also recorded isolated incidences of thuggery. Like I said earlier, we anticipated them and we have multiple teams to respond in the fastest manner.
“We were able to stabilise the situation and rescue the INEC officials,” he said.
“I can confirm that several arrests have been made but as at this moment it is still an ongoing process. So, I cannot conclusively say this is the number of polling units where violence was recorded but at the end of the day we will do a post-election evaluation and come up with specifics,” the police commissioner added.
Security operatives killed some thugs in Anambra, Imo and Ebonyi states in South East Nigeria for trying to disrupt or stop voting.
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki who led Commonwealth Observer Mission, observed in Abuja on Saturday, the late arrival of officials and materials to polling station in many parts of Nigeria.
He told journalists that although elections were to start 8:30 am but officials arrived at some of the polling stations at about the time the exercise was begin.
Mr Mbeki also noted the complaint by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also complained of inks drying as early as elections began.
“Imagine what can happen later. The point I’m making is that everybody arrived late. And before they could start with the voting, it took some time,” he said but assured that INEC would solve the problem.
Also the, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a separate briefing, also admitted that officials arrived late at many polling units.
He blamed the problem on travel logistics but said the commission would ensure that all voters in the queue by 2:30 p.m. would vote, “no matter how long it takes”.
He also confirmed that thugs attacked some polling units in some states, stealing at least BVAS machines and destroying ballot papers.
The situation was the same at Polling Unit 015 in Ward 10 of Onitsha North local government area where electoral officials were not on ground as of 9:30 a.m.
Vote counting has started at the polling units but only designated polling officers can announce such results.
