Late arrival of INEC officials slows accreditation in Idu ward

Voting was delayed at Polling Unit 051 in Wupa, Idu Ward, on Saturday following the late arrival of officials and election materials, leaving voters stranded for hours before the process could begin.

As of 8:55am, no officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were present at the unit. There were also no election materials or voters on ground, with only two party agents sighted at the location.

INEC officials reportedly arrived at the polling unit around 10am and immediately began setting up. However, voting had still not commenced as of 11am due to incomplete materials, including the absence of a second ballot box required for the exercise.

Speaking at the unit, Elisha, an agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC), attributed the delay to logistical challenges in the distribution of materials across the ward. According to him, election materials meant for the entire ward were initially dropped off at Idu before being dispatched to individual polling units.

He noted that the early low turnout was not due to voter apathy but rather the initial absence of electoral officials and materials.

“People came out earlier but did not see the readiness of the electoral bodies. They went back because the election did not start. Even the community chief was here earlier.

“The ballot box we are supposed to use is not complete; we are still waiting for them to bring the second one. But as you can see, people have started to come out,” he said

In contrast, voting commenced on schedule at Polling Unit 029 in Paipe, also within Idu. The process reportedly began around 9am, with voters describing the turnout as encouraging compared to previous elections at the unit.

A voter at the location, however, pointed out that some individuals were unable to find their names on the voters register, posing a minor challenge during the accreditation process.

BusinessDay observed a heavy security presence at the Paipe polling unit as voting continued peacefully.