Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday recorded early arrival of election materials and ad hoc staff at city centre for the area council elections.

As of 8:15 a.m., all the polling units visited within Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) were set for commencement of the election.

Security agencies, including the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel were seen manning the polling units.

At polling units 16, Area 8, City Centre, AMAC, the Presiding Officer, Emmanuel Miracle, said they arrived at 7.30 a.m. to start the exercise.

“We’re set and waiting for the time for commencement of the election,” Miracle said.

Also at polling unit 15, the electoral officers and security agents were already on ground waiting for election to start.

Also at polling units 072 and 073, the electoral officers were already set as at 7.50 a.m. waiting for the electorate and the commencement time for the election.

The presiding officers for the two units, Hellen David and Mohammed Umar respectively said all election materials were ready.

At polling unit 073, the party agent for All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Abubakar, also said that all was set for the election.

Abubakar also confirmed the early arrival of security personnel and INEC ad hoc staff, expressing confidence that there would be a peaceful conduct of the election.

Meanwhile, commercial vehicles and other motorists on Saturday defied the restriction of movement order by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and the police, as they were going about their normal business.

Report from some areas across the FCT indicated that commercial vehicle, tricycle and motorcycle operators were busy conveying residents from one area to the other.

At Airport Road, Jikwoyi, Nyanya, Kuje, Gwagwalade and some parts of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), it was free vehicular movement, as no barricade was seen around those areas.

However, on the Kubwa-Nyanya highway, security agents were seen blocking the road with their trucks, forcing motorists to take one way as they were trying to outsmart the military personnel.

Businesses were also closed in most part of the FCT, as most of the shops were under lock and key, while shop owners, laundry operators and Point of Sales service providers, however, opened for business in some parts of Airport Road.

As of 8:10 a.m., electoral materials were seen being moved out of the Kuje central distribution centre at Science Primary School to the various polling centres within the area council.

The polling units in Aleyita on Airport Road were also deserted, with only a handful of security men on site, while INEC officials had yet to arrive.

As of 8:26 a.m., only five voters had arrived at the centre for the election, two of whom were political party agents.

One of the voters, Andrew James, said he had been at the polling unit as early as 7:00 a.m. to cast his vote but was disappointed that no INEC official was on ground.

Mr James said that for convenience, all the six polling units in the community were collapsed at LEA Primary School, Aleyita.

Voting had also yet to commence at the polling unit in Pilot Science Primary School, Kwali as at 8.33 a.m., while INEC officials were seen briefing party agents on the guidelines for the election.

(NAN)