Our Reporters
13 April 2003
ASIDE negligible cases of violence, the first in the set of elections scheduled to usher in a new administration in the country were yesterday held on a promising note. The National Assembly polls were generally peaceful with turnout massive in most states.
The few states where the elections were accompanied by violence include Edo where three persons were reportedly killed, Rivers where sporadic shootings were said to have been recorded in some areas and Enugu where give persons were feared dead.
Pessimists who predicted mayhem during the elections in states including Kwara and Oyo were disappointed as nothing of such happened.
The National Assembly elections were, however, put off in Warri and Koko in Delta State for security reasons, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The elections did not begin on schedule in many states across the nation due to logistics problems encountered by the electoral body in many states.
The early morning downpour in the South-West part of the country did not help matters as it invariably caused delay in the commencement of the polls. In Anambra State, the elections suffered about six hours delay as the polls could not begin until about 2 p.m. The delay forced INEC in Ondo and Kaduna to extend voting period.
After the initial hiccups, however, the elections were conducted in most states under a peaceful atmosphere. The situation report from the states are as follows:
-Ebonyi: ANPP guber candidate arrested
REPORTS from Ebonyi said ANPP gubernatorial candidate in the state, Chief Lawrence Nwuruku, was arrested by security agents yesterday morning for undisclosed reasons.
Nwuruku was allegedly picked up yesterday morning by security agents who whisked him away from his home. ANPP chieftains in the state alleged that the arrest may have been a ploy to cause a setback for the party in the National Assembly polls as well as hinder its preparations for the gubernatorial and presidential elections billed to hold this Saturday.
Yesterday's elections were, however, substantially peaceful in the state as the police and the military jointly patrolled the state.
Voting was delayed for several hours due to logistics problems as the elections did not commence in most areas before noon
-Ondo: 7 arrested with arms in bus
EARLY morning downpour in parts of Ondo State led to the late arrival of officials and election materials. Although, the people defied the rain to troop out to the various voting centres, accreditation could not start early due to absence of officials and materials.
About 10.00 a.m. when the exercise commenced the turn out was massive as the people took their turn to perform their civic duties. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Donald Iroham, who led policemen to Owo, expressed satisfaction with the people's conduct.
As at the time of this report, seven persons including two chieftains of AD and PDP were being interrogated at the police headquarters in connection with the discovery of various arms in a bus at Iju near Akure. The weapons include cutlasses, axes and bottles containing liquid suspected to be acid.
-Niger Amid fearful polls, IBB solicit optimism
FORMER military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has called on Nigerians to be optimistic and think positive always in order to move the nation forward.
Speaking after casting his vote at the uphill polling unit, Babangida apparently speaking against those who were clamouring for a shift of the election said, "We should not think that we are not capable of doing the right thing at the right time."
According to him, "There is no cause for the shift; it is even too late for calling for things like this as we should be forward looking into the future; I personally don't share the view that there should be a shift."
Babangida described the elections as peaceful and that from what was on the ground, the transition from civilian to civilian will be peaceful. Answering a question on his forecast on the outcome of the elections, the former military president pointed out that things had changed politically, saying" "I will not be naive to think that things will be the same now because there were two parties in 1999 and there are now 30 political parties."
Speaking in the same vein, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, described the election as peaceful but said he was not satisfied with the turn out of voters especially female at his unit.
He described democracy in the country as still very young saying, "We are in the trying moment in the country and we should join hands to make the transition to civilian to civilian a success." Generally, the elections in the state were peaceful as eligible voters more than ever before in the history of election in the state came out en-masse to vote for their candidates.
Security in the state was in order as there was a combination of both the military and the police especially at the volatile areas to keep peace.
-Abuja: Massive voters turnout
THE parliamentary elections in Abuja witnessed a large turnout of voters. They were also held under a peaceful atmosphere. But the elections did not take off in virtually all the polling stations in the Federal Capital on schedule.
Voters who trooped to the polling stations as early as 7.30 a.m. were disappointed as INEC officials were not available to attend to them.
Infact at about 11.45 a.m. voting was yet to take place in many polling stations including the one located at Area 8 Garki forcing the angry voters to complain bitterly about the manner INEC handled the elections.
-Enugu: Five feared killed
REPORTS from Nsukka in Enugu North Senatorial Zone where the former National Secretary of PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, contested the senatorial seat under ANPP indicated two persons were killed during the elections. An unconfirmed report also said that three people were killed in Udi Local Government Area in a clash between two rival political parties.
There were also several cases of snatching of ballot boxes by supporters of some political parties in Nsukka zone especially in Nsukka and Opi.
Although details of the political violence in the area were scanty by press time, report said the two persons were killed in a clash involving rival party supporters in Igbo Eze North Local Government Area headquarters, Enugu-Ezike.
The Igbo-Eze North Local Government from where the ANPP governorship candidate, Chief Fidel Ayogu, hails had been witnessing political tension for sometime now as supporters of the party and PDP engaged themselves in a bitter rivalry following the destruction of posters of candidates by opposing groups.
The National Assembly elections in the state were also characterised by few cases of political violence in Enugu urban where some armed political thugs hijacked ballot boxes and other election materials after heavy shootings. But Governor Chimaroke Nnamani who cast his vote at Orjiagu ward four voting centre at Agbani, Nkanu West Local Government Area said despite few cases of sporadic violence, the exercise was 96 per cent successful.
Although voting did not take off in most centres at the stipulated 8 a.m., everything later went on well till about 2 p.m. when armed political thugs unleashed violence in some centres in Enugu South and Enugu North Local Government.
The thugs operating in two unmarked 504 Peugeot cars stormed the affected voting centres one after the other between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. and carted away ballot boxes containing thumb-printed ballot papers to unknown destinations.
But the House of Representatives candidate of APGA for Enugu North and South Federal Constituency, Mr. Chijioke Nnaji disagreed with those who described the exercise as a success, saying what happened in Enugu State was not an election.
He said that the results of the elections were allegedly written in favour of the ruling PDP candidates in the early hours of Saturday, adding that the materials were given to PDP by INEC to the detriment of other political parties.
Nnaji said that Chief Jim Nwobodo group in UNPP had directed their supporters to withdraw from the election after discovering that the results were written at 2 p.m. Saturday . He promised to put up a petition against INEC on the exercise.
Although, Nnaji could not say if the hijack and destruction of the ballot boxes were part of the protest against PDP and INEC, he believed that aggrieved supporters of the opposing parties were responsible for the violence.
The centre where the thugs said to be working for one of the opposing parties in the state removed the ballot boxes were Ihewusi, WTC, ESUT, IMT, Afia Nine Council (Obiagu), Awkunanaw Boys' Secondary School and the Independent Layout area.
Policemen from Ogui Police Division were said to have been on the trail of the thugs with a view to recovering the ballot boxes but they were not successful by press time.
However, Governor Nnamani who spoke with newsmen after voting at Agbani said the turnout of voters was very encouraging and congratulated INEC for doing a wonderful job.
"Coming from Enugu where I am in touch with the entire state, I can say that everything has gone well in about 96 per cent. We had a few cases of sporadic violence but I think that in its entirety the exercise so far has been successful," Nnamani said. He also thanked the people of the state for being steadfast and calm and for believing his government's promises that everything possible would be done to ensure the success of the elections in the state.
-Katsina: Buhari's wife can't vote
WIFE of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential candidate, Hajiya Aisha Buhari could not vote at Sarkin Yara ward in Katsina State, as she could not find her name on the voter's list. Aishat, who was visibly angry, told newsmen she discovered on Friday that her name was missing from the voters register, when she wanted to exchange her voter's slip but was told she could still vote yesterday.
"Now, I got here; I am the first to arrive here at 8.00 a.m., and I can't see my name and cannot vote also," she stated.
Aishat's voter's slip which she could not exchange for voter's card, had security number, 153946066.
Presiding officer of the ward, Mallam Habu Musa, who confirmed that Aishat's name was missing from the voters list, said he could not tell how and why. But presidential candidate of the ANPP, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, who voted at the same unit, said his wife's name, was "perhaps one of the over seven million Nigerian electorate disqualified by the National Electoral body (INEC.).
Buhari arrived the polling unit O1 in Daura, Katsina, in a maroon-red-coloured jeep with registration number DU 757 AAA, at 8.02 a.m. He said from the manner in which INEC had prepared for the Saturday election and indeed the general elections, there was more to it than meets the eye. According to the ANPP presidential candidate, he was awaiting the reports of his agents on the field, before he knew whether to protest the results of the elections, or not.
"There's so much evidence of inefficiency and lack of transparency in the electoral process. People do not even have confidence in the system.
"So we are keeping our ear to the ground; if our agents come back and say that there were irregularities, we will protest."
Buhari also stated his resolve in asking the electorate to hang around when they have put their votes in the box, stressing that there's always the likelihood that anything foul may be played out.
"But if they are there, they see everything, now they can vouch for the process;" even the agents may be outsmarted sometimes, but let everyone see and testify."
The Katsina-born general said two of his daughters, based in the UK could not turn up to vote because they could not arrive the country on time.
He said, however, that the enthronement of democracy by any sincere democratic government is an exercise that should boost the confidence of the people in the rule of law, in the country.
"I do have confidence, that if the electoral process is free and fair, though my wife and many of my other people may have been disenfranchised, majority of Nigerians will still vote for me," he summed up.
Meanwhile, the elections in the state were characterised by widespread cases of underaged voting as well as late arrival of electoral materials to the polling units. Besides, there were cases of electoral materials, particularly the EC-forms, in short supply to polling units.
Sunday Vanguard investigations revealed that thousands of underaged within the age of 10 and 16 years were allowed to vote. Sunday Vanguard also noted that in some areas as like Kakawa Polling units, where materials arrived earlier, several prospective voters could not see their names and they were asked to leave.
Women in several areas of Katsina were mobilised to vote and they constituted a very large percentage of voting population, in the wards visited.
-Lagosians defy rain, turn out en-masse to vote
IN demonstration of their desire to sustain the present democracy by peaceful transition from one civilian administration to another, Lagosians yesterday in their thousands, defied the early morning rains to cast their votes.
As early as 8 a.m. prospective voters had arrived the polling centres all over the metropolis exchanging their temporary voters slips for the actual voters cards ahead of the elections that began about two hours behind schedule.
Governor Bola Tinubu however said President Olusegun Obasanjo would have himself to blame if the on-going general elections was not properly handled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Governor Tinubu's comments coincided with that of Rev. Fr. Matthew Kukah who urged INEC to start preparations for the 2007 general elections from May this year in view of the shortcomings noticed in yesterday's polls.
Youths and little ones took advantage of the free roads occasioned by restriction on movement and converted major roads to football fields despite the early morning showers.
Policemen in vehicles and armoured personnel carriers paraded potential trouble spots and major roads while voting lasted.
In Ikeja, Mushin, Surulere, Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, Apapa, Ajeromi Ifelodun, Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye and Ojo Local Government areas, voting was generally peaceful. The same atmosphere prevailed in other council areas in the State.
At Ikotun Area of Alimosho Local Government and some parts of Victoria Island, INEC officials arrived late thereby delaying the commencement of the exercise.
The INEC officials attributed their lateness to the delay experienced at the centres where voting materials were collected. They also blamed it on poor welfare package. However, in places like Olodi-Apapa, Ejigbo and Jakande Estate in Isolo, INEC officials were still being expected as at 11 a.m. There were also isolated cases of missing names on the voters register.
There were cases of material overtures to some voters at Orile and Apapa while pockets of voting disruptions were witnessed at three wards in Isale-Eko on Lagos Island between AD and PDP supporters. The affected wards were B1 Idiomo, C2 Idoluwo and B1 Idunshagbe. Youths armed with cutlasses, bottles and sticks on three occasions hijacked ballot boxes.
Police however quickly swung into action to restore law and order. Several cannisters of teargas were shot to disperse the disorderly crowd while one of the ballot boxes was recovered.
The DPO of Adeniji Adele Police Station who led the police team to restore normalcy was slightly injured in the melee.
Lagos State Commissioner, Mr. Young Arebamen however told reporters that investigation had begun on the incident with a view to determining the cause and bring the culprits to book.
A mild drama took place at a polling station along Ejigbo road near Church bus stop when a pregnant woman went into labour while waiting to vote.
On Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, there was only one ballot box unlike two in other places. The INEC official told Sunday Vanguard she took only one box because it was impossible to open the second one as agents would insist on the boxes being opened before and after the polls.
At a nearby polling centre, a Chief Superintendent of Police, E.O. Oyedele who was in charge instructed party agents not to display their identification tags.
A number of prospective voters whose names could not be located on the voters register were not allowed to vote at some polling centres in Iyana Iba Housing Estate despite presenting their computer tear off slips but at Festac Town, voters with such cases were allowed to vote.
In parts of Agege, voting materials were insufficient. Specifically at Unit 008 of Ward K along Iresi Street, Orile Agege, voting started by 10.30 a.m. but ballot papers were exhausted by 2.00 p.m. thus disenfranchising some voters.
The presiding officer explained that the unit was initially given four booklets containing 100 ballot papers each but two booklets were later withdrawn by INEC leaving the centre with 200 ballot papers for a voting population of over 400.
INEC officials were said to have arrived Ayodele Primary School polling centre Ajegunle in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government at about 2 p.m. and immediately locked the school's gate thereby preventing voters who came later from casting their votes.
-Kwara: Pessimists proved wrong
AGAINST the backdrop of political violence that had consistently dogged Kwara State political landscape, the elections in the major cities in the state were peaceful. There was massive turnout as residents, particularly in Ilorin defied an early morning downpour to cast their votes with umbrella providing the needed protection while others stood soaked.
Virtually everywhere Sunday Vanguard visited namely Okelele, Adewola Estate, Adeta, Pakata, Okekere, Ita Ogunbo, Isale-Aluko, Abayawo, Dada, Idi-Ape, Akodudu, Gaa-Aremu, I di-Igba among others was peaceful, with very long queues by 10:30 am, as they cast their votes in turn
Similarly in Lafiagi, Jebba, Offa, and Share the turnout was very impressive and people cast their votes without any disturbing incident.
Casting his vote at his Idi-Ape quarters by 10:15 am, Governor Mohammed Lawal himself commended the peaceful conduct of the election and the massive turnout, adding that the much talked about violence in the state was artificial and exaggerated. With this development, he expressed confidence that people in the state will freely chose their representatives without any rancour or violence whatsoever.
Senator (Dr.) Is'haq Salman of ANPP who was cornered by Sunday Vanguard at his Adewole Ward while casting his votes commended the men of State Security Services and the police command for providing a peaceful and conducive environment for residents to vote. He also seized the occasion to deny the report that he was involved in the procurement of fake ballot boxes saying that he indeed reported the incident to the men of SSS and that the culprit has been apprehended.
Also noticeable in yesterday's election in Kwara State was a serious preparedness of the State Police Command, the men of SSS and the military forces with more than enough security agencies in nooks and crannies of the state.
The Police Commissioner, Alhaji Mohammed Dikko Abubkar told Sunday Vanguard that there was no reported cases of violence and that it was peaceful everywhere. The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Eugene Amaju said he had to delay the commencement of the electoral by one hour because of the heavy down pour of rain which could spoil the election materials. Both Dr. Olusola Saraki and his son were yet to cast their votes as at the press time.
-Plateau: Orderly polls
THE elections into the National Assembly recorded impressive turnout in Plateau State amidst complaints of missing names on the voters register in some polling units. Apart from the delay in the arrival of materials in some areas especially Jos South local government and inadequate ballot papers which forced voters to wait for hours before they could vote, the exercise was generally peaceful and orderly.
Many voters in some polling units whose names were missing in the register despite possession the slip complained bitterly as they were disallowed from voting.
One of the places where this was experienced was at Mistali in Bassa local government area where majority of those who registered in a particular unit did not find their names. Governor Joshua Dariye voted at his village, Hanrop in Kokko local government area after which he expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election which he described as a victory for democracy.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Chief Jacob Nwakpa was also satisfied with the progress of the exercise yesterday afternoon.
Both deputy governor of the state, Chief Michael Bot-Mang and a member of the House of Representatives , Mr. Mulumba Dah Adeh expressed concern about the problems of delayed arrival of voting materials in some centres in different interviews.
While Bot-Mang said it was unfair to keep people waiting for hours for materials that ought to have been distributed well ahead of time, Adeh said the situation coupled with the disappearance of many names of voters from the voters register would make room for speculation of a foul play.
The resident electoral commissioner, however, confirmed that the elections held in all the 17 local government areas of the state especially in Wase local government where there was a report of a violent skirmish on Tuesday last week.
-Anambra: Elections start 6 hrs behind schedule
THE National Assembly elections were almost marred in Anambra State as a result of late distribution of election materials by INEC. Voting did not take off anywhere in the state till well past 2 O'clock in the afternoon while in some centres, voting could not start till 4.00 p.m. Former Senate President and ANPP vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo described the situation as a deliberate plan by the PDP to rig the election but warned that "any attempt to rig will fail because the people are vigilant and are ready, eyeball to eyeball to stop their rigging game."
At INEC headquarters in Awka, voting materials were still being off-loaded from the vehicles that brought them from Abuja and the distribution of the materials could not start even after 11.00 a.m. Some PDP stalwarts had earlier under heavy mobile police escort stormed the headquarters trying to intimidate INEC staff. However, the presence of two lorry loads of armed soldiers helped to suprevise the distribution of materials.
In Onitsha, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Dr. Albert Obiefuna who came to vote at the Holy Trinity expressed disappointment at the late commencement of the exercise, saying that INEC was not ready. He described the exercise as something being done by primitive people. \"INEC is not prepared for election and they have to say when the election will take place. See all the crowd here when are they going to vote. If they are not ready for election, they should not call people out to vote. This is like a primitive society," Obiefuna who voted at about 3.50 p.m. said. Sunday Vanguard tour of Some local government areas including Awka North and South, Dunukofia, Njikoka, Oyi, Onitsha North and South showed that election materials did not arrive at the polling centres till afternoon despite the fact that enthusiastic voters had trooped out enmass to cast their votes.
"The time now is 2.30 p.m. till this minute, there are no voting materials at all polling centres in Anambra State. The failure is monumental, it is colossal, it is manifestly disrespectful.And we must hold the federal governemnt, the overall authority in charge guilty, on account of electoral malfescence, on every account of electoral bungling, on every count of financial misbehaviour.
"General Obasanjo must stop trying to impose himself on Nigerians. He has been rejected. The PDP government is dead. Never in the history of this country has such a thing happened, never, it can be delayed, you know up to 11.O'clock, we know that. Now what do they want us to do? They start by 5 O'clock to announce their funny results, bow will we accept that," Okadigbo lamented.
He alleged that he has been marked out for attack hence his decision not to go to monitor the distribution of materials.
-Ogun: Obasanjo votes, describes downpour as good omen
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo defied yesterday's down pour to cast his vote in the National Assembly elections.
Trekking about 100 metres from his Ita-Iyalode residence to the polling station in African Church Grammar School premises, Obasanjo dressed in brocade arrived the polling station at about 10:10 am.
The president who was accompanied by his wife Stella and several of his aides including Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Tunji Oseni voted at 10:15 am while his wife voted one minute after.
A drenched Obasanjo told newsmen that the early rain was a good omen signifying blessings and success of the elections as well as progress for the country.
"Barring any act of satan by the end of the day there won't be serious crisis. Reports from all over the country showed that things will go smoothly, he said.
Governor Olusegun Osoba, who voted at his Ago-Oba Ward 13, spoke in the same vein declaring the rain as "showers of blessings that shows that it shall be well for Nigeria." Governor Osoba who was accompanied by his son, Olumide voted at 11:30 am further said that the enthusiasm of the people would make up for the lapses on the part of INEC.
"I haven't received any major adverse report except in Igbore where they said they brought the wrong voters' list but Chief Soniran Sowemimo has gone to INEC and I am sure everything would be alright."
Osoba, dressed in white brocade, said that his prayers for Nigeria was for the success of the elections.
A massive turn out of voters characterised the National Assembly polls despite the early morning downpour in the state. People trooped out very early to cast their votes giving INEC officials herculean task of coping with the large number.
In Abeokuta, the turn out was particularly heavy with intending voters on the queues extending to the streets. In Ota, a returning officer in Atan Ward was yet to be seen at 1:00 p.m after he was said to have collected seven ballot boxes from INEC for the elections. Minor cases of INEC officials bringing wrong voters' register to polling stations were also reported. The major complaint on the elections was the inadequacy of policemen to prevent crisis.
-Oyo: Impressive turnout, Adesina alleges rigging
IN SPITE of early morning downpour, voters in Oyo State trooped out in large numbers to exercise their civic responsibility to elect their representatives into the National Assembly. But for the complaint by Governor Lam Adesina of large scale rigging at Molete area of Ibadan,the elections were generally peaceful as voters conducted themselves in orderly manner.
The general officer commanding (GOC) two mechanized division of the army; the state police commissioner, Mr. Kelvin Opoke and the resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Umaru Liman went round the state to ensure the elections were peaceful.
The Resident Electoral Ccommissioner told Sunday Vanguard he was satisfied with the conduct of the polls as, according to him, there was no report of major violence in any of the polling stations in the State.
The police commissioner described the elections as free and fair, saying his men were very much on the ground to forestall any problem.
Adesina, yesterday afternoon stormed INEC state headquarters, complaining of high scale rigging at Molete area of Ibadan.
"People believed to be political thugs have hijacked two ballot boxes while some of the ballot papers were seen on the roads which my chief orderly packed", he said, adding: "I have come to make this complaint because this is not fair and to possibly seek extension of time". There was also confusion yesterday at the Peoples Girls Grammar , Molete, Ibadan when the state governor, Alhaji Lam Adesina visited the polling centre.
The governor it was learnt had gone to the centre following report that AD agents have been barred from the centre. On getting to the centre some voters were allege to have stoned the convoy of the governor and in the process there was confusion in the entre area.
-Kano: Underaged vote
IN Kano State, the people turned out in large number to vote in the elections. The elections, however, recorded logistics hitches, widespread cases of underaged voting and shortage of materials in many areas.
-Rivers: Shooting, unimpressive turnout mar polls
Fear of violence kept many prospective voters in Port Harcourt away from the polling stations, causing an unimpressive turnout for the elections.
The elections were marred in many areas of the metropolis by violence and shootings.
30 persons were arrested in the city after sizeable quantity of live ammunition and weeds suspected to be marijuana were found on them. Logistics problems delayed commencement of voting in the metropolis as the elections started in most polling stations at about noon. Governor Peter Odili voted in Ndoni.
-Ekiti: Polls peaceful, massive turnout
The early morning down-pour forced the resident electoral commissioner in Ekiti State, Sir John Nwosu, to extend the national assembly elections in the State by two hours. The heavy rain started around 6.15 a.m. and ended by 9.30 a.m., a development which prevented the elections from starting at 8.00 a.m. as previously scheduled.
The INEC boss stated that the period of extension would allow the electorate to make up for the time lost.
People, however, trooped out at the end of the rain to exercise their voting rights at the various polling stations.
People in Ikere, Oye and Idolosi councils in Ekiti South and Ekiti North Senatorial Districts of the State respectively defied the dawn downpour to cast their votes for their candidates.
There was no report of violence in all the 16 local government areas of the State.
The state governor, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo voted in his country home, Iyin Ekiti, at about 10 a.m. pleading that the people should eschew violence.
The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adejugbo Aladesanmi III equally urged the political parties to go about the elections peacefully.
-Osun: Ballot boxes smashed
The dawn downpour could not prevent Osun State residents from trooping to the polling centres to exercise their right of electing those to represent them in the National Assembly from June. Aside few skirmishes in some polling centres, the exercise generally was peaceful.
Voting however, did not start on schedule as INEC officials and materials did not arrive at their different centres due to the down pour which started at about 7.30 a.m.
Governor Bisi Akande was one of the earliest voters at Isedo Ward One in Ila-Orangun where he and his wife voted at 9.35 a.m.
The presence of military personnel was noticed at most cities such as Osogbo, Ilesa and Ile-Ife to complement the efforts of armed policemen stationed around the various polling centres.
For instance, at Ajamapo Ward in Ile-Ife, a popular politician in the area accused a rival party member of multiple voting. In the ensuing brawl, ballot boxes were said to have been smashed leaving ballot papers scattered on the ground. The quick intervention of the police from Moore Station at Ile-Ife put the matter under control before it escalated.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Sola Akinwumi and a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Azeez Popoola complained that the shortage of
election materials for the House of Representatives election prevented many eligible voters from voting. They urged INEC to correct the imbalance in order to ensure that the problem does not re-occur in other elections.
-Kaduna: Voting hours extended
Voting took off in most centres in Kaduna hours behind schedule due to late arrival of electoral officers to the polling units. Hundreds of prospective voters milled around polling stations for up to four hours waiting for the officials to come and when they eventually showed up, voters conducted themselves in an orderly fashion even when there was little or no presence of security personnel.
The huge turnout of voters in different parts of the State rubbished the anxiety in the days leading to the election day when citizens anticipated violence during the exercise in the state capital in particular.
However, it was noted that many voters were dazed by the number of party symbols on the ballot papers and were simply unable to tell the one representing their favourite candidates.
Voters were pleased to hear that the voting period had been extended to 6 p.m. to ensure that all eligible persons had the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
The INEC resident electoral commissioner in the State, Barrister Aliyu Marafa expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise in the state, explaining that the late take off of voting in most polling units was as a result of the late arrival of election materials from Abuja.
He revealed that the state INEC was still in the process of distributing the materials to the different local government areas as at 4 a.m. on Saturday.
Barrister Marafa remarked that the commission was able to overcome most of the lapses that manifested in the early stages of the exercise in the State.-
Delta: INEC suspends polls in Warri
National Assembly elections were expected in the three Warri council areas of Warri South, North and South-West in Delta State yesterday, just as the rampaging Ijaw youths vandalized a number of public institutions at Ogbe-Ijoh, headquarters of Warri South-West.
The state resident electoral commissioner, Awwal Sheu Babayaro, in a press statement, read on the state owned radio station in Warri, said the election would hold in the three councils today (Sunday).
Babayaro's statement was read intermittently on the state radio as from 4.30 p.m. several hours after prospecting voters had waited for INEC officials and materials at voting centres.
Scanty number of voters had come out for the civic rights in the scorching sun in Warri metropolis, only to be informed via the radio announcement that the exercise had been suspended till today.
Babayaro however did not give any reason for the suspension of the election in the areas.
However, Sunday Vanguard learnt that the step may not be unconnected with the twin problems of non-availability of materials as well as volatile security situation in the three Warri council areas.
The Ijaw youths who were protesting the INEC's insistence on holding the election in Warri yesterday vandalized the Warri South West council secretariat, the INEC office in the council area and the divisional police station.
The Ijaw had consistently maintained that INEC should not conduct election in the three Warri council areas until the alleged lopsidedness in the composition of electoral wards and registration units are corrected to reflect the population strength of the ethnic groups in the areas.
The Ijaw said the present composition of registration units and electoral wards favoured their Itsekiri neighbours, whom they insisted were in the minority.
Also the voters in Uvwie council departed for their various homes disappointed yesterday as INEC officials and materials were nowhere to be found as at 4 p.m. Election did not take place in the Uvwie council areas as at press time.
Meanwhile, the people of Ughorton in Okpe Local Government area of the State were prevented from voting yesterday by some irate youths believed to have been sponsored by some politicians in the town.
They were reported to have hijacked electoral materials meant for Ward 10 (Ughorton). All efforts made by Ughorton community leader Mr. Ben Agbayigolo for them to release the materials fell on deaf ears.
The Senior INEC supervisor for the area, Mr. Osasa James confirmed the development and promised to report to his bosses.
Nonetheless, the exercise was marred by late arrival of election materials at all local government councils visited, especially Sapele, Ethiope East and West, Okpe, Ughelli North and South, Udu , Isoko North and South. In most places, the materials were yet to arrive at the voting centre at about 3 p.m.
Also our correspondent noticed apathy on the side of the eligible voters as large number of residents of the local government councils remained indoor. The mood of the people may have been informed by the anticipated violence at voting centres. However, no report of political violence had been made in the state as at press time.
... Koko burns, polls also put off
An unspecified number of houses including a police station in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State were set ablaze yesterday by some youths forcing INEC to put off the elections in the area.
Following the crisis, the state resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Awwal Shehu, told Sunday Vanguard on phone that "we (INEC) have deferred the national assembly elections there till tomorrow (today).
"We have to take that step", he said "because the Sate Security Service (SSS) has advised us to put off the elections till tomorrow. So, the elections would hold there between 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday".
An eye witness said that "the town was overran by some youths as early as 4 a.m. yesterday, protesting the holding of the elections.
"Several houses were burnt including the police station there, while many of the people have fled the town", the eye witness said.
The state police command's spokesman, Mr. Victor Obasuyi, confirmed the mayhem but said details were not yet available.
Delta: INEC suspends polls in Warri
By Sola Adebayo
NATIONAL Assembly elections were suspended in the three Warri council areas of Warri South, North and South West in Delta State yesterday just as the rampaging Ijaw youths vandalised a number of public institutions at Ogbe-Ijoh, headquarters of Warri South West.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Awaal Sheu Babayaro, in a press statement read on the state-owned radio station in Warri, said the election would hold in the three councils today (Sunday).
Babayaro's statement was read intermittently on the state radio as from 4:30 p.m, several hours after prospecting voters had waited for INEC officials and materials at voting centres.
Scanty number of voters had come out for the civic right in the scorching sun in Warri metropolis, only to be informed via the radio announcement that the exercise had been suspended till today.
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