ABUJA Elections Large Turnouts Recorded

Voters in Bwari Area Council of the FCT trooped out in large numbers on Saturday to elect a chairman and councillors of their choice. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the impressive turnout was a deviation from previous elections, where voters’ apathy was noticeable. Election began with the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive voting materials at 7 a.m.
in most of the wards and polling stations, while accreditation and voting commenced at 8.30 a.m. There was heavy security presence as well as a large turnout of election observers in most wards. At the Gaba Village Polling Unit located in Bwari Central Ward, accreditation and voting commenced at 9 a.m. with high turnout of voters. Also, accreditation and voting commenced early at the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School Polling Unit in Igu Ward, the PDP Chairmanship candidate, Mr Simon Gwani’s ward. NAN further reports that voters turnout at the Market Square Circle and LEA Polling Units both in Ushafa Ward, was equally impressive, as voters including the aged cast their votes early in the day. Similarly, a large turnout of voters was recorded at the LEA polling units, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate, Mr Musa Dikko, voted. However, at the LEA polling units 1 and 2, JAMB, Government Secondary School, Federal Government Girls College, Army Camp Ground, all under Bwari Central, accreditation and voting started late. Meanwhile, the INEC Electoral Officer, Mr Shittu Tata, told NAN that only four political parties were eligible to contest in the chairmanship poll. The parties include PDP, APGA, Action Alliance (AA) and the APC, while only APC, PDP and APGA contested for councillorship. According to Tata, 161,671 registered voters were slated to participate in the election, while 1,358 ad hoc staff were employed to conduct the exercise.