Nigerians, yesterday, trooped out en masse to cast their ballot, despite late arrival of election materials and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In Maiduguri, Borno State, where The Guardian monitored the exercise, voting started around 9 a.m. in some polling units, while election materials could not reach other places by 11a.m.
The exercise also witnessed glitches associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), just as accreditation and voting proceeded orderly and peacefully at other polling units by 9 a.m.
Vice presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima, waited for two hours before retreating from his Lawan Bukar Ward at Shettima Kukawa 023 Polling Unit due to the non-arrival of materials.
However, Shettima’s second daughter at PU 048 at Kashim Shettima Street, GRA voted at exactly 9.45 a.m., describing the accreditation process as swift and seamless.
This is just as Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, who cast his ballot by 12 noon at Ajari PU 006, Mafa, Mafa Council of the state, said it was too early to comment on the situation in the entire state.
Zulum, who drove for about 50 kilometres from Maiduguri to Mafa to discharge his civic responsibility, said he was satisfied with the process.
Speaking shortly after voting for the presidential and National Assembly candidates of his choice, the governor stated: “I just cast my vote here at my polling unit, and based on what I have seen so far, the voting process is going on smoothly. It has taken a very short time for me to be accredited and cast my vote, I believe the other polling units will be like this one.”
He commended voters for turning out en mass to vote at his hometown, Mafa, saying it was remarkable that citizens are conducting themselves in peaceful manner.
He regretted complaints received from Maiduguri, the state capital over glitch associated with BVAS.
“Yes, I received some complaints from Maiduguri regarding BVAS, so while I commend what I have seen here, I cant talk of the entire state until I get reports from our agents from the 27 Councils of the state,” he noted.
Also in his remarks after returning to Shettima Kuawa 023 PU, where he eventually cast his ballot, the APC vice presidential hopeful, expressed optimism that APC will win the elections with a landslide victory.
“Our party will win the presidential election with a landslide victory across the country,” he reiterated, stressing that triumphing at the polls is one part of the story to unite people, fight poverty and unemployment in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Commenting on the conduct of the election, Shettima urged INEC to extend voting till 7.00 pm, even as he lamented that election officials and materials arrived late at 10.45a.m. in most of the polling units in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC).
While noting that the presidential election is a momentous one, Shettima explained that the poll will unite the people, irrespective of their political affiliations and ethnicity.
The APC chieftain maintained that extending the allotted time by INEC is a necessity, since according to him, that will make up for lost time on account of late arrival of material at most polling units.
He warned INEC not to let the country down, noting that the commission could not afford to mess up the 2023 general elections.
“Let us give INEC the benefit of the doubts in conducting a credible, free, fair and peaceful general elections in the country,” he added.
