• Friday, November 22, 2024
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Anxiety over late arrival of INEC staff, materials at Presidential Villa, Abuja

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As at 8.00am. large crowd of voters were already awaiting INEC officials At the Presidential Villa polling units. There are 7polling units at the Villa, this year.

It is exactly 9.00am, and Nigerians from all walks of life have turned out in their large numbers to vote at the Presidential Villa, 022 and 021 polling units.

Those who arrived early were however disappointed that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), were yet to arrive the polling units.

This is as INEC had in their previous briefings stated that accreditation and voting will start simultaneously by 8.30am and close at 2.30pm.

BusinessDay checks revealed that as at 9.00am, only security operatives attached to the Presidential Villa polling units were on ground to welcome enthusiastic voters, sone of who said they arrived at the units as early as 6am.

One of the Police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented that late arrival of INEC officials will pill pressures on the security agencies when they finally arrive.

“ As you can see, people are already here and they are eager to vote and leave, but this late arrival will pill pressures on our efforts to ensure order, when they finally arrive”

One of such Voters, Sule Idris, wondered why it is taking the officials so long to arrive with their materials

“ There must be something wrong because, in 2019, by this time, they had even set up public toilets everywhere around this polling unit. No, there is no evidence that voting will take place here, except for the presence of security officials”

As expected, people are using the opportunity to make brisk business as a few hawkers of snacks and sachet water, had there wares sold out within few minutes.

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