Governorship/Assembly Election: Low turnout of voters reported across the country

APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
There are reports of voter suppression and low turnout of voters across the country in the ongoing governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Some of the voters interviewed by journalists attributed the low turnout to the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly election held on February 25, which they said did not reflect the actual result of the votes cast by the voters.
They also said that the process adopted by the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was flawed.
According to them, many voters felt that it would amount to a waste of their time to come out and vote and their votes would not count.
Some youths, who were playing football in some major roads in Rivers State in southern Nigeria instead of participating in the election, told journalists that they were no longer interested in voting since their votes would not count.
In neighbouring Bayels state, many traders in Yenagoa, the state capital, shunned voting in the governorship and state assembly elections as they continued trading in the popular Tombia market despite the lockdown order of the police authorities.
Some of the voters told journalists that they don’t believe in the electoral process, alleging that their votes did not count in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly polls.
There was also reported cases of destruction of voting materials in Bayelsa state. Reacting to the incidents, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Douye Diri, condemned the destruction of ballot materials in four wards of constituency two in the Ogbia Local Government Area of the state by suspected thugs during the State House of Assembly election.
The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, described the act as highly condemnable and warned those behind electoral violence in the state to desist as the full weight of the law would be brought down on the culprits.
He called on the Commissioner of Police to arrest the perpetrators and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to book.
He said his administration frowned at criminality, especially electoral violence as it would prevent the electorate from exercising their franchise.
The former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who voted in his ward in Bayelsa state condemned voter suppression and destruction of election materials in the state and called on the police to arrest the persons who carted away the election materials.
In Ekiti State in southwestern Nigeria, the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the Nigerian President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who voted at Ado Ekiti Ward 04, Unit 09 in Ekiti state told journalists that more voters may come out to cast their votes before the voting exercise closes.
“Democracy is a journey in which everybody should participate. People will still come out to vote,’’ he said.
But the Special Adviser to Ekiti State Governor on Political Matters, Olajide Awe, who voted at Erijiyan Ekiti Ward 04, Unit 04, said the election had been smooth and the situation peaceful in his area.
“We have noticed a low turnout of voters here. Those who were supposed to come from outside to vote did not come before of naira scarcity. They do not have the cash to come. This is one of the effects of the cashless policy. People don’t have access to money for transport,” Awe said.
However, the INEC personnel arrived at their polling units on time, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System appeared to work effectively.
Meanwhile, the convener of the Civil Society Situation Room, Ms. Ene Obi, said that voting started early in many of the polling booths across the country.
She also confirmed in their initial report at about noon of pockets of violence in Lagos and some other states in the country.
According to her, there were also cases of vote buying which was reported to the security officials.
Voting is expected to end at 2.30 pm, but voters who have been accredited will be allowed to vote after 2.30pm.
GIK/APA