Audu, Voters Express Satisfaction With Conduct Of Polls

Audu

THE candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Prince Abubakar Audu has expressed satisfaction with the process of the gubernatorial election in Kogi State.

The former Governor, who spoke immediately after casting his vote at his Ogbonicha country home, was accredited at about 12:18 pm and voted 1.40pm at ward 010 Ogbonicha in Ofu Local Government Area. He however expressed concern over ballot snatching in Anyigba, Etiaja and Ajetachi.

Meanwhile, the All Progressive Congress Chairman, Hadi Ametuo has described election in the Central Senatorial District of the state as peaceful, adding that the turn out was good.
“There is no cause for alarm, things are moving well and at the end of the exercise, parties will be satisfied with the arrangement. For the accreditation, card readers were working well.”

Materials arrived on time in the polling units visited in Okene, Adavi and Okehi LGAs, while accreditation started by 8am as schedule and the turn out was massive. However in some polling units in Okene town, there was low turn out, with massive security in the area to forestall breakdown of law and order.

A Youth Corps member, who spoke with our reporter at Ogboroko ward 1 polling unit, said the exercise has been very peaceful without hitches.

The candidate of the Labour party Dr. Philip Salau confirmed that the exercise was orderly, except for few polling units where he had information that card readers were not functioning and late arrival of materials.
“Before we had reliable information that a political party would jam the card readers to justify the use of manual accreditation so that they can be thumb printing the ballot papers. We petitioned INEC on this and it seems our prediction is right,” he said.

While urging the electoral body to take action on the card readers and ensure availability of materials for the election, he alleged that some people were planning to invade some polling units during voting with gun to chase away voters and be able to do the thumb printing of ballot paper.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistance to the Governor on Okene Local Council, Yahaya Karaku, commended INEC for early arrival of materials.
“If things continue and end the way they started, credit would go to president Muhammadu Buhari. Things are going smoothly and materials arrived on time.”

He advised the people not to resort to violence irrespective of who wins the election, but to celebrate because the era of political acrimony was over.

On his part, a chieftain of the APC Sule Abdul Kokori said the exercise is going on smoothly in the area because INEC has done their job well.
He attributed the low turn out of voters in Okene town to the fact that in the two major parties, the governorship candidates are not from the Central Senatorial District.