Mass Turn Out Of Voters For Election in Bauchi

In Bauchi , there was large turnout of voters at polling centres across in state and accreditation commenced as early as 8.00 a.m amidst tight security.

However in some of the polling centres, accreditation started as late as 10.30 am to 12 pm due to late arrival of INEC officials and materials at the polling stations.

Voters from an Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp in Maiduguri queue to get registered for Nigeria’s presidential elections in Maiduguri on March 28, 2015. Polling stations opened in Nigeria today, the electoral commission said, as voters went to the polls to elect a new president in what is being seen as the closest campaign in the country’s history. AFP PHOTO

When Vanguard visited Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State, electorates trooped out in large numbers to vote in the presidential and National Assembly elections.

The story was the same in virtually all the polling units visited with accreditation of voters going on as of the time of visit.

At the Zagibadari near the palace of the Emir of Misau, where there were about four units, it was observed that accreditation was going on well as polling officers told newsmen that there had no problem with the accreditation process.

They informed that if the voter’s fingerprints had no problem it took less that 50 seconds to accredit a voter while those whose fingers were dented, it took an additional two minutes to accredit them or they were made to fill the incident form.

But the story was different at Lagori, particularly at Kofar Audu Dirisa Unit 2 where it was gathered that the card readers deployed in the polling unit was not functioning. As of the time of visit to the unit, the presiding officer, one Bala Hassan, was said to have gone to INEC office to complain.

But accreditation was going on at other units in the areas with a large turn out of voters. Electoral officials said they were not facing any challenges.

In Azare, the headquarters of Katagum Local Government Area of the state, the turn out in most of the polling units visited was highly impressive but at Makanza material were just arrived as the time of the visit at about 11:23am.

Many voters found at the unit complained that they had been waiting since 8amonly for electoral officials to keep the m waiting.

At the INEC office of the local government area on Bulkachuwa road at about 11:29am, some electoral officials were just collecting electoral materials for their units.

The INEC official for Katagum LGA, Ali Kura, wondered why there was any delay as the last person who collected voting material left the office at 6:30am, saying the delay might have been caused by officials at ward distribution units.

Another official informed that some electorate went to wrong polling units with the permanent voter’s cards only to be told to go elsewhere.

According to the official, who did not want to be named, there was a seal on some of card readers deployed in the area which made the to be rejecting voters’ finger prints, saying, however, that they had since directed that the seals be removed.

Voters in Tafawa Balewa Locxal government area turn out in mass to be accreditated and to cast their votes.

Materials for the Presidential and National Assembly Polls arrived late as Election officials tried to locate their polling Centers.

In Gabas Polling Unit located at the Central Primary School, within Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, there was low turnout as only two elections officials and security personnel were already at the venue.

The Presiding Officer of the Polling Unit, Corper Bayo Adeyemi, who arrived with the election materials at 8:36am explained that, no arrangement was made for them at the INEC Registration Area Center (RAC) with code 06 WAI for their transport.

He said: “We left Bununu (Tafawa Balewa LGA new headquaters) this morning for Gori which is our RAC around 1am, when we got there, no proper arrangement had been made for us to get our materials.

“When we got there, there was no light and we had to buy fuel at that time for the generator. It was after then that we could charge the Smart Card Reader devices.”

The presiding officer further disclosed that there was no vehicular arrangements were made for them, adding that the development was what made them to arrive late with the materials .

He said the Polling Unit has been split into four voting points 026,027,028A and 028B for easy accreditation and voting, but observed that the officials and the voters were finding it difficult in locating their voting Points .

While at Mariam Kudu A located at Vocational Training College only 25 people were accredited as at 10:36 am.

In Yamma ‘B’ only one voter has been accredited as the presiding Officer was still having difficulty with the Card Reader device.

In Dass local government area of the state at polling unit 009, Barde, kofar Sarki as at 11:31 in the morning their battery strength waa 59 per cent with 177 voters accredited out of which only 66 where successfully capture.

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