Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Kaduna metropolis, is recording massive turnout of voters, but delay in distribution of election materials is being experienced.
Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) covering the elections report that as at 9.11am, material and INEC staff were yet to arrive at some polling units.
INEC had fixed 8.30am for the commencement of the election process.
Voters started trooping to polling units as early as 7 am, while distribution of sensitive material by INEC officials started at 8:10 am.
Mr. Samuel Gambo, a resident of Narayi, said the early turnout of voters in the area showed their eagerness to vote.
“The long awaited day is here and you can see how the people have turned out to cast their vote,” he said.
The security agents were present at most polling centres, just as people conducted themselves orderly.
Polling units visited at Barnawa area of Kaduna metropolis indicated early turnout of voters, while sensitive materials were yet to arrive at the units as at 9am.
At Rigasa area however, distribution of election materials took place in earnest, drawing commendation from some observers and party agents.
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Mrs Safiya Haruna , an agent of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a good job.
She expressed optimistic that the elections would be peaceful because enough security personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order.
Usamatu Isiyaku , a party agents of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), said distribution of election materials in the areas , was without hitches.
Meanwhile, accreditation had commenced in few polling units visited at Kakuri area of Kaduna South.
At LGEA Baban Dodo Primary School unit, voters had turned out massively, conducting themselves in orderly manner.
Ali Yahaya, a Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO), said there were about 88 polling units, being handled by over 350 officials.
“So far, the exercise has been smooth,” he told NAN.
Speaking on the cause of delay in the distribution of election material, an INEC Supervisor who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, attributed the hitch to late turnout of some advocates staff.
“We had arranged that those advocates staff were to spent the night at the distribution centres but some of turn left and turned up this morning.
“The flouting of this arrangement is responsible for the hitch, but just in some few polling units”, he said.(NAN)
