Voters decry late arrival of election materials

Some voters in Aco/AMAC Estates, Airport Road, Abuja, have decried the late arrival of materials as well as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited polling units 056 and 099 observed that INEC officials and materials had not arrived as at the time of filling this report.

NAN also reports that personnel of the Nigerian Security And Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) were seen at the polling units.

Mr Ayo Adebowale, a civil servant said that he arrived at the polling unit early but was yet to see any INEC official.

According to Adebowale, we are not happy that both INEC officials and materials have yet to arrive.

“This is past 9 a.m. and they are not here. Accreditation is meant to start at 8:30 a.m.

“Although INEC ad hoc staff have not arrived at the polling units with election materials but we are going to wait, ” he said

Another voter, Mrs Nkiru Eze, said that voters had been waiting for several hours without seeing any electoral officer.

She said that although there was presence of some security personnel and there was massive turnout of voters as at 9.30a.m., but no electoral officer had arrived.

“I have been here since 5 a.m., I stay in River Park but there is no polling unit there so I had to come here early to cast my vote here.

“But there is no INEC official here yet. Its tiring but I will stay until they arrive so I can vote,’’ she said.

Also speaking, Mr Abdullahi Arome, said that the voters had been kept in the dark as nobody came to address them.

“We are all confused here because we have not seen any INEC official yet. So we have no idea of what is happening right now,” he said.

Arome who expressed his disappointment over the delay hoped that the electoral materials would arrive and accreditation would commence.

Mrs Joy Adakole said that she came all the way from Area 1 Garki Abuja to ACO/Amac where her polling unit was to vote.

Adakole told NAN that she would wait and vote no matter the delay as she had long anticipated for the day to come.

A Labour Party polling agent, Mr Chinonso Ogbodo, said that people came out early to vote and everything was made official as people were given numbers to ease the process.

“As you can see, everything has been done. But there is no INEC official around. Voters were meant to have their lists pasted on the wall so they can know the exact unit they are going to vote.

“But if you look around, none of them are here. The EFCC has been here earlier and we explained to them the situation of things.

“We are still waiting. Anytime they come, we will start,’’ he said.