Vote buyers on Saturday took advantage of security absence in Tunana Primary School to make brisk business in broad daylight near polling units in Jigawa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unfortunate development took place in Kiyawa Local Government Area where security operatives were conspicuously absent.
NAN also observed that nobody was immediately ready to challenge the vote buyers, not even the party agents or the prospective voters, because of fear of being attacked by aggressive looking youths.
A NAN correspondent observed that the vote buyers were seen negotiating to offer the new N1,000 notes and wrapper to prospective voters, mostly women.
NAN also reports that neither the anti graft personnel nor the independent local or international observers were sighted at the polling centre to possibly scare them.
Meanwhile, a prospective voter, one Alhassan Shafi’u, who reported to the Polling unit as early as 5 a.m., said he could not speak about the ugly situation because of fear, but however, expressed happiness that voting commenced by 8:30 a.m.
An APC agent, Haruna Zubairu, also declined to comment on vote buying, but said everything was fine.
Similarly, one Bashir Isa, an agent of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), also refused to comment on the presence of vote buyers but said that voting was going smoothly.
One of the Presiding Officers, Muhammad Garba of 024 Polling Unit, said that he was not entertaining any fear from anybody whatsoever, adding that the election process was going on peacefully.
Garba said that he started the accreditation and voting as early as 8:30 a.m. without experiencing any technical problem or having incomplete election materials.
NAN, however, reports that there was large turnout of voters in the area, mostly women and young men who were in their 20s showing their excitement at the way the entire processes started early enough.
However, DSP Lawan Shiisu, the Police Public Relations Officer, Jigawa Command, told NAN that they were not aware of the situation.
He said the Command would, in spite of that, quickly deploy reinforcement of security operatives to the centre. (NAN)
