Names’ misplacement, omission mar voting exercise in 3 FCT communities

Misplacement and omission of voter’s names from the displayed voters’ registers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) marred the smooth take off of the rescheduled presidential and national assembly elections in some polling units in Abuja.

Our reporters, who monitored the exercise, observed that the rescheduled polls witnessed a large turn out of voters in Galadimawa, Yayale Ahmed Estate in Dutse district and Wumba community in Apo district in Abuja Municipal Area Council ( AMAC).

 At ward 013 Galadimawa Primary school, which had seven polling units, some prospective voters who said they arrived the venue at 8.am, lamented the omission and misplacement of their names by INEC.

Speaking with one of our reporters, Idris Abubakar and Ajama James, said their names were missing from the voter’s register, claiming that they registered at the venue.

Also, Wahab Abdulwasiu and Osemudiamen Godfrey lamented that they had earlier visited three polling units but their names were missing on the register, stating that the development compelled them to visit Galadimawa.

Also, at Yayale Ahmed Estate in Dutse district, one of the prospective voters, Mr Nnamdi Joseph, said he had visited two polling centres in search of his name, but he could not find it.

Joseph, who later voted in Wumba in Apo district around 12: 30pm, castigated INEC for what he called: “improper planning and shoddy arrangement.

When  our reporters visited ward 023 in Wumba community in Apo district around 11:30 pm, which had three polling units, there was a noticeable large turn out of voters.

INEC presiding official in one of the polling units, Ms Chika Nze, told Blueprint that there was huge turn out of voters in the area.

She, however, identified voters’ inability to identify their voting points as one of the challenges that characterised the exercise in the area.

Leave a Reply