By Williams Ekanem, MACTV News
THE aborted April 2 National Assembly election did little to dampen the enthusiasm of Nigerians to perform their civic responsibility yesterday in the rescheduled exercise.
Indeed, against the prediction of possible voter apathy, the people turned out in large numbers in most urban and rural areas across the country. There were also reports of low attendance in some areas.
However, the dampener came in the form of violence and snatching of ballot papers and boxes in several places.
For instance, bombs were exploded in Borno State capital, Maiduguri, injuring five persons while an ANPP local chairman and his son in Jere council of the state were shot dead by unknown assailants. In the same vein, a bomb blast was, around 6.15 pm yesterday, reported from a collation centre in Maiduguri.
As at press time, there was sketchy details regarding the magnitude of casualties recorded.
Also, there were reports of election officials preventing people, who did not queue to be counted after being accredited, from the actual voting. Many were thus disenfranchised.
Nonetheless, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, described the turnout for the election as impressive. His assessment came on the heels of the poll’s eve bomb explosions in Suleja, Niger State, which killed many officials of the INEC, particularly members of the NYSC, who are serving as ad-hoc staff in the election.
Similarly, prominent Nigerians and local and international observers have hailed the election as successful. President Jonathan, along with his wife, Dame Patience, voted at his Otuoke community in Bayelsa State.
Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said the election was the shape of things, and called on the voting public to come out in larger numbers in subsequent polls.
Accompanied by his wife to the voting centre at the State Grammar School, Surulere, the governor said: “This is what we have all asked for. We have all asked to participate; we have all asked to be given the opportunity to choose our leaders. Now that the opportunity is in our hands, let us make use of it.”
Kwara State governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was satisfied with the poll, noting that the large turnout of voters was an indication that Nigerians were no longer politically docile.
Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, after voting at Isote Sagamu, saluted Nigerians for the resilience shown so far in the democratic process.
He said: “From what we have seen today, there appears to be a marked improvement over what happened last week. We pray that this will be conclusive.
What would have become a relatively peaceful National Assembly elections after two successive postponements by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday threw up new concerns, ranging from pockets of violence in a few states to late arrival of electoral materials in some others.
Most of the polling centres in Lagos, Ondo and Abia States, for example, recorded impressive turnout as INEC officials reportedly started accreditation of voters as early as 8am, while the real voting began at 12.30 pm as stipulated in INEC’s election programme. In Ikorodu and Isolo areas of Lagos, there was “massive” turnout of voters who came out as early as 7.30 am to get accredited. They waited until 12.30 pm when real voting commenced in most of the polling centres.
