A Presiding Officer, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), has apologised for the lateness of officials and materials experienced in some Local Government Areas (LGAs) on Saturday.
The presiding officer, Mrs Abiodun Iyiola (Ward 11, Unit 15, Ibadan South-West), attributed the lateness to the lack of enough vehicles to convey electoral officers to their different units.
“There are not enough vehicles to bring us, and I was able to reach here because I joined security operatives in their vehicle,” she said.
Iyiola, however, urged the citizens to come out to vote, saying they could also use their international passports and not only their voter cards as means of identification.
“They can also use their NIN, International passport or voter card as we were told officially; but I don’t know if it’s only for this local government election or not,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accreditation and voting had, however, commenced in some polling units across the LGAs.
The election is being conducted in the 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state by OYSIEC.
There had been a series of complaints of the late arrival of materials in some polling units such as in Ido, Ibadan North and Ibadan North-East LGAS.
At Polling Unit 1, Ward 11, Ibadan North-East LGA, NAN confirmed that accreditation and voting had commenced.
An electoral officer told NAN that the exercise started around 8.30 a.m.
“You can see that people have been coming here to vote,” the officer said.
At Unit 13 of Ward 11, Ibadan South-West LGA, NAN reports that while OYSIEC officials arrived at 8.56 a.m., accreditation and voting started simultaneously at 9.15 a.m.
However, at Units 12, 14 and 15, all within Ward 11, South-West LGA, the electorate were observed waiting for the arrival of electoral officers and voting materials.
At exactly 9.15 a.m., at Ward 11, Unit 1, Abayomi area of Iwo Road, Ibadan North-East, only 17 out of 750 registered voters had voted.
Although accreditation and voting started early at Units 19 and 21 of Ward 10, Ibadan South-West, very few voters were seen performing their civic rights.
NAN observed that there was no queue in the units as those present cast their votes with ease.
OYSIEC ad hoc staff arrived at Ward 9, Units 1, 3, 4, 8 and 10 at the Queen’s Cinema area of Ibadan North-West LGA at around 9:30 a.m.
They, however, said the voting materials they brought to the polling units were not complete, hence voting could not commence.
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They alleged that OYSIEC officials at the distribution centre told them to go ahead and that the remaining materials, such as the ballot papers and cubicle, would be sent to them.
Speaking to NAN on the development, Mr Deji Adeoye, the All Progressives Congress (APC) agent for Unit 4, said he would not start to point accusing fingers at anyone at this point.
Adeoye said the electorate would wait patiently to see what would happen at the end of the day. (NAN)
