Millions of Nigerians trooped out en masse on Saturday to elect a President and National Assembly members to steer the affairs of the country in the next four years.
Sadly their enthusiasm was somehow dampened by card reader challenge, late arrival of electoral officers and materials as well as violence at some polling centres nationwide.
Prominent among those disappointed by the card reader are President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Patience, and the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State , John Jonah.
The President and his wife arrived the Otuoke Ward 13, Pollin Unit 039 by 9am and waited till 10 am before leaving after he was accredited manually.
Four card readers had failed to capture Jonathan and Patience, a development that made Independent National Electoral Commission officials, including the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Baritor Kpagi, to provide Incident Forms for the President to fill before being accredited.
Prior to this , Jonathan made some calls seeking to know the situation in other parts of the country.
Shortly after leaving the unit, he addressed journalists and advised Nigerians to be focused.
He gave the assurance that the card readers would not deprive people of their right to vote as long as they had their Permanent Voter Cards and were duly accredited in line with the established process.
Jonathan said the same card readers that could not capture him and his wife worked for others, including his mother, Eunice.
He said that it was his expectation that the elections would be credible, free and fair even though there could be delays.
The President said, “In my unit, we have problem with my own card. As long as the process is going on well nationwide , it is okay.
“Definitely, they will sort out my own. I cannot be a ghost voter, everybody knows me.
“I am not worried. There may be a delay but I can’t speak for INEC. But my interest is that we conduct credible and peaceful elections. We are totally committed to that.
“I believe that no matter the hitches, we will achieve credible elections. I have got information that in some states like Jigawa, some voter cards were not there . Elections may be delayed. For House of Representatives, no voter cards in Edo State, I think Ethiope East or West…
“Here directly, in my own polling unit, some of the cards are going through but my own and that of my wife and other persons have some problems. But they are sorting them.
“My conviction is that the election will go on smoothly; I am not worried. If I can endure, you can see me sweating, I plead with all Nigerians to be patient.
“As a nation, we can conduct an election that the whole world will accept; that is what we should all think about, not what somebody or some individuals can pass through.”
The President said he had received calls from leaders within and outside Africa on the need for Nigeria to conduct credible polls.
He added, “I spoke with President (Barack) Obama.(of the United States). I got a letter from Prime Minister (David) Cameron of the United Kingdom encouraging the country to go on with peaceful election. I spoke with John Mahama of Ghana, Jacob Zuma of South Africa, and a host of them. Everybody’s comment was to wish us well and wish our country a successful election.
“I encourage Nigerians to be patient with INEC; if you have card reader problem, please don’t go on the rampage; don’t instigate crisis. Wait patiently until you perform your civic obligation.”
The President and his wife returned to the polling unit to cast their votes at about 2.13pm.
He told journalists that the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega, informed him that he had directed that manual accreditation should be allowed at centres where the card reader failed.
A military helicopter was seen hovering over Otuoke shortly before and after voting ended.
Like in the case of Jonathan, card readers failed to capture the Deputy Governor, Senator Nimi-Barigha Amange, and the traditional ruler of Nembe, Edmund Daukoru.
Although the situation was calm in most parts of Bayela State, some youths hijacked election materials in Opolo and Yenezue-Gene wards.
The APC presidential candidate, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria as saying he was satisfied with the conduct of the elections in spite of hitches recorded in many states.
Buhari said this in Daura, Katsina State, after casting his vote at Sarkin-Yara ward at 5pm. His wife, Aisha, also cast her vote at Kofar-Baru 3 polling unit.
He said he received complaints in five out of the 36 states of the federation.
Buhari said there was no reason whatsoever for the electoral body to cancel the elections for the hiccups recorded in few places.
“If countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Pakistan, who are experiencing war can conduct elections, I see no reason why INEC will cancel this election for just few problems,’’ he said.
Buhari urged the commission to improve where there were lapses to strengthen democracy and good governance in the country.
Expressing hope that the APC would win the presidential election, the former Head of State commended Nigerians for coming out en masse to exercise their franchise in a peaceful and orderly manner.
Buhari also said that if elected as President, he would focus attention on reviving agriculture, fighting corruption and creating job opportunities for the teeming number of unemployed youths in the country, among others.
In Lagos State, many residents left their homes as early as 8am but did not see Independent National Electoral Commission officials at the polling centres.
At most of the centres, they waited patiently until the officials arrived and accreditation started between 9am and 11am.
But before voting started between 1pm and 3.50pm, there was rainfall in parts of the state which they defied by still hitting the centres again to cast their votes.
But voters in a few areas of the state, especially in Shangisha area were not opportune to vote due to non- provision of ballot papers by INEC. It was learnt that only one centre commenced voting at 8pm on Saturday
It was also a tale of delay in Abuja as accreditation of voters did not start in some polling units until 11am.
The Chief Observer of the European Union, Santiago Fasasi, who spoke at about 10.55am at Model Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja, confirmed problems of delay experienced in many polling units, saying “it looks like it’s the same around the country.”
A former Ghanaian President, John Kufuor, who led the ECOWAS election monitoring team to the Lugbe area of Abuja on Saturday, described the poll as peaceful.
He said, “The ECOWAS is seriously concerned about the Nigeria election because Africa cannot afford a major crisis in the country.
“We cannot afford a post-election violence in Nigeria because the whole of the continent is looking forward to Nigeria as leader.”
In Rivers, Governor Rotimi Amaechi refused to be accredited on learning that election result sheets had yet to arrive at his Ubima home town in Ikwerre Local Government Area .
Amaechi’s anger also had to do with the fact that the card readers deployed in the area failed to work.
The governor, who is the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, turned up at his polling unit at about 10am and accused the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government of plotting to rig the presidential election in the state.
He thereafter left the centre and headed for the state Government House in Port Harcourt, a development that made other prospective voters in the community to feel that he might not return to exercise his civic duty.
But there were reports that scores of INEC officials were driven away by armed thugs from polling units in the state.
The thugs, who ordered some youths to accredit voters, injured two of the INEC officials, who resisted them.
INEC, however, announced that voting in areas where accreditation and voting hitches characterised the exercise had been postponed till Sunday (today).
The commission, in a statement by the Head of its Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee, Chris Iyimoga, said it came up with the plan to avoid disenfranchising eligible voters.
It said, “INEC has been monitoring field reports on the accreditation process since commencement this morning.
“Whereas the process has gone well in several places, in some others, it has encountered some challenges, especially the card readers.
“Consequently, accreditation has been slow in many places and has not commenced at all in some others.
“Even though the guidelines for the 2015 general elections provide that where card readers fail to work and cannot be replaced, elections in such units will be postponed to the next day, the scale of the challenge we have observed has necessitated a reconsideration of the provision of the guidelines.
“The commission has therefore decided that in PUs where card readers fail to work, the Presiding Officer shall manually accredit voters.
“The Presiding Officer shall mark the voters register upon being satisfied that the person presenting a PVC is the owner. Notwithstanding, in PUs where accreditation was suspended to the next day in accordance with the guidelines, arrangements will be made for voters to vote tomorrow, subject to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010.”
INEC reassured Nigerians that it would “thoroughly investigate what happened while it stays committed to credible elections.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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