Low voter turnout as Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election begins
The Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election in Ibadan, Oyo State, started with low voter turnout at polling centres.
The by-election arose because of the demise on July 10 of a member of the House of Representatives, Olajide Akinremi, of the All Progressives Congress.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission arrived as early as 7:30a.m.at various polling centres but few voters turned out.
At Bodija Ward 10 Unit 26 at 8:22 a.m. and Ward 5 Unit 19 at 8:27 a.m., INEC officials were already on ground and setting up for the exercise.
“We are 100 per cent ready at Methodist Grammar School Bodija at Ward 5 unit 26. As you can see, we are setting up, we are waiting for voters, and their list will be pasted soon,” Omolara Gbamigbade, an INEC official, said.
“Everything is set, the INEC is here and the police. We are waiting for people so that accreditation and voting would commence,” Bolaji Abiona, a Peoples Democratic Party agent at Ward 10 Unit 26, also said.
The first voter at Ward 10 Unit 27, Police Station, Bodija Housing Corporation, Oluwaseun Omisakin, who arrived at 9:07 a.m., said she was able to vote in less than five minutes.
According to her, the process was seamless.
“I got to where the voter list was pasted and saw my name. In fact, I wasn’t expecting it. Even the comportment of the INEC officials was excellent, especially the way and manner in which the official handling BVAS worked with the minor glitch that occurred during the capturing. It showed that they were prepared,” Omisakin said.
Apart from Omisakin and another person who voted, no other person was at the polling unit to vote.
At Sango, Oju Irin, opposite Gateway Baptist Church, Ward 8, Unit 031, PDP party agent, Ajayi Lucas, lamented that INEC officials arrived at the polling unit at 9:50 am.
“We have been calling the collation officer to alert him that INEC officials were not on ground, only to see them just arriving now at 9:50 am. This is not acceptable, it ought not to be so,” Mr Lucas said.
At Ward 8 Unit 1, Sango Ibadan, INEC officials were also not around.
(NAN)
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