Situation report from Rivers State - By Ernest Chinwo
Amaechi refuses to be accredited
.Problem of card reader persists
Rivers state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, refused to be accredited at his Ubima hometown because of the failure of the piling officers to produce result sheets.
The governor therefore headed back to Government House, Port Harcourt, insisting he would not vote unless he sees the result sheets.
The governor was said to have refused to be accredited at his polling unit in front of his house at his Ubima Town, as he insisted that the result sheets should be made available.
Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, David Iyofor, claimed that there was no accreditation at virtually in all the units in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
He said all the people of the local government area have also refused to be accredited as they were all demanding for the result sheets.
However, the Rivers PDP publicity secretary, Mr Samuel Nwanosike, debunked the claim by the governor that there was no accreditation in the local government area, saying several people in his own Ward 9, Omagwa, had been accredited.
He said many eligible voters in Omagwa, Igwuruta, Elele, Ubima, Aluu, among others had registered.
As at 1:37pm, accreditation was still on going in Biara in Gokana Local Government Area .
Police Arrest Man for Distributing Stolen PVCs in Ebonyi
A man identified as Ozoemena Odenta has been arrested by the police in Ikwo Division of Ebonyi state Police Command for allegedly distributing stolen PVCs in Ekawoke ward in the area.
The suspect was accused to have stolen the cards, numbering over 300, from INEC officials during the last distribution exercise and disappeared, only to resurface on the election day with the cards, which he distributed based on his discretion to his loyalists.
Confirming the incident, the Deputy Coordinator of Goodluck/ Sambo 2015 Project in Ebonyi state, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu noted that the culprit was among the suspects that had already been fingered for the crime when the act was committed.
The Coordinator bemoaned the National chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega for using the card readers to experiment election as sensitive as the 2015 general election.
Instead, he should have assessed the efficiency of the machines in the conduct of bye- election in either national assembly or state house of assembly election.
12:30Pm
Card Readers Malfunction in Kano Polling Units
Muhammad Bello
Voters in and around Kano metropolis were on Saturday confronted with failing card readers as they trooped out to cast their votes.
In many polling units, where ad-hoc staff of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) came out late for the exercise, voters had to fill incident forms, which will qualify them for voting.
There was also late arrival of election officials and materials in many areas of the state.
12:59pm
INEC Suspends House of Reps Election in Jigawa
Muhammad Bello
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Jigawa State, Alhaji Halliru Aliyu Tambuwal has announced the suspension of the conduct of election into the eleven federal constituencies in the state as a result of dearth of voting materials.
The suspension, according to Tambuwal, became necessary because INEC, which was ready to conduct the presidential poll in the state, wants to rectify the problems before embarking on the exercise.
No new date has been fixed for the election.
1:03pm
Delay in Materials Supply Stalls Accreditation in Surulere
Chinedu Eze
Voting materials arrived very late at most of the polling boots in Surulere local government council.
There was large voters turnout but INEC officials as well as voting materials came late so accreditation started at mid-day.
THISDAY asked INEC an official why the materials did not come and he said that all the times he called, those bringing the materials would answer they were on the way.
There was no indication that there was a reason why the delay occurred besides poor logistics.
Accreditation has continued to go on amid restive voters who turned up early to be accredited and to cast their votes.
1:15pm
Soldiers Mount Checkpoints around Lagos as Election Process Begins
Abimbola Akosile
Major streets in Lagos were Saturday deserted as soldiers and policemen mounted checkpoints to restrict movement of citizens. However, voters' accreditation began as early as 8am in some locations, as potential voters queued up to verify the PVCs.
As early as 7.30am when THISDAY moved around some parts of Lagos and Ogun States to monitor the election exercise, soldiers, policemen, Air Force and Naval personnel were seen at strategic locations in Agege Total area, Oshodi after Bolade, opposite Abalti Barracks and Stadium area of Surulere and Barracks area of Apapa.
However, accreditation of voters were observed at polling centres at Abattoir area of Agege, Mushin, Sogunle, Surulere, and Apapa; with the INEC major collation and distribution centre located at 34, Bombay Crescent in Apapa a beehive of activities.
At the collation centre, international observers were on ground to witness the accreditation which began at 8.55am, while National Youth Service Corps members were seen collecting materials for their various polling centres.
Some youths were observed playing soccer along Olayiwola Street in New Oko Oba, Agege and along Agege Motor Road at Mushin. Most of the major routes were totally deserted; while the soldiers on checkpoint patrol were strict in checking the identities of passersby and the boots of the few cars which passed through their locations.
1:53pm
Police Arrest Man for Distributing Stolen PVCs in Ebonyi
A man identified as Ozoemena Odenta has been arrested by the police in Ikwo Division of Ebonyi state Police Command for allegedly distributing stolen PVCs in Ekawoke ward in the area.
The suspect was accused to have stolen the cards, numbering over 300, from INEC officials during the last distribution exercise and disappeared, only to resurface on the election day with the cards, which he distributed based on his discretion to his loyalists.
Confirming the incident, the Deputy Coordinator of Goodluck/ Sambo 2015 Project in Ebonyi state, Ambassador Frank Ogbuewu noted that the culprit was among the suspects that had already been fingered for the crime when the act was committed.
The Coordinator bemoaned the National chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega for using the card readers to experiment election as sensitive as the 2015 general election.
Instead, he should have assessed the efficiency of the machines in the conduct of bye- election in either national assembly or state house of assembly election.
From : Thisday Newspapers
