04: 28 pm
Adamawa rerun: INEC begins collation of results
Collation of results at ward and local government levels has begun in Thursday’s supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election is taking place in 44 units in 14 local government areas with 40,988 registered voters.
The margin of lead by the PDP candidate, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri to his closest rival, Gov. Muhammadu Bindow of APC is 32,476 in the previous exercise, necessitating the supplementary exercise.
NAN further reports that the voting had been generally peaceful across the state.
The Public Relations Officer of Adamawa Command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Suleiman Baba, said there was no report of violence anywhere.
“We have deployed our officers and men in affected units across the state and so far as I speak to you now we did not receive any report of violence during voting from our personnel at various polling units across the state,” Baba said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Adamawa, Mr John Muva, said the party did not deploy agents at polling units to confirm its resolve to boycott the exercise.
Muva told NAN in Yola that the party was not satisfied with the choice of Thursday by INEC for the polls.
“As far as we are concerned the whole thing looked fishy and we can’t be part of it; we were not consulted or given enough time to prepare,” Muva said.
The Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Kassim Gaidam, however, said that all the 29 political parties involved were communicated of the new date on Tuesday shortly after the vacation of the court interim injunction that stopped the election from taking place on Saturday as earlier scheduled.
Gaidam observed that the election would have been conducted on Saturday but was delayed by court order and wondered why any political party would be complaining of not being prepared for the election.
01:08 pm
Security has been beefed up at polling units as people in Adamawa trickle out to vote in Thursday’s supplementary governorship election in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election is going on in 44 polling units across 29 wards of 14 local government areas of the state.
Vehicular movement has, however, not been restricted, but armed policemen were seen on roads leading to polling units conducting stop-and-search operations on motorists.
Plain-clothe security and unarmed policemen are seen around the polling units observing the exercise.
Speaking on the security situation, the Adamawa Resident Electoral commissioner, Mr Kassim Gaidam, said that only those with Permanent Voter Cards in the affected units would be allowed access to the polling units.
Gaidam added that only one agent from each of the political parties was allowed at polling units; but political parties’ monitoring teams would not be allowed access to the election venue.
According to him, the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Zone 3 and the Commissioner of Police in the state are leading other security agencies in monitoring the exercise.
He said that the National Commissioner in charge of Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe states would be joined by some neigbouring states electoral commissioners to monitor the election.
12:00 pm
The Adamawa governorship supplementary election has successfully commenced in 14 Local Government Areas across the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited some polling units on Thursday in Yola, the state capital, reports that the exercise was moving on smoothly.
Speaking to NAN, Ms Furera Adamu, INEC Presiding Officer in charge of Mustafa Primary School polling units in Bako ward in Yola, said the election started at 8am.
Adamu said that so far, there was no problem of card readers malfunction, adding that the electorate were turning out to cast their votes.
“The election started at 8am in my unit and so far, there is no any problem as our card readers are functioning effectively. We have enough security operatives deployed,” Adamu said.
At the Bako Primary School polling unit 007 in Yola South Local Government Area, the election started as scheduled.
In Girei and Fufore Local Government Areas, the exercise was moving smoothly as the electorates were casting their votes orderly and peacefully.
Speaking with NAN, Mr Kasim Gaidam, Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, said the commission was well prepared for the election where about 358 staff were engaged for the supplementary election.
He said the election was being conducted in 14 local government areas in the 44 affected polling units and in 29 wards.
Gaidam said areas where the elections were being conducted include: Yola South, Fufore, Ganye, Girei, Guyuk, Hong, Lamurde, Numan, Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Shelleng, Song and Toungo Local Government Areas.
NAN reports that there was presence of election supervisors, accredited political agents and other stakeholders.
11: 40 am
Accreditation and voting have commenced peacefully at PU 017 Viewing Centre, Ngurore Ward, Yola South of Adamawa State.
Also at PU 007 Mustapha Primary School, Bako Ward, Yola South LG, voting is in progress.
However, there are cases of voter apathy in some polling units, as most of the election officials were literally idle.
The people of Adamawa State will on Thursday return to their polling units to conclude the governorship election in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had while announcing results from other states, declared the governorship poll in Adamawa state inconclusive.
The supplementary election would hold across 14 local government areas of Adamawa state.
“The LGAs in Adamawa State where the supplementary governorship election will be conducted are: Fufore, Ganye, Girei, Guyuk, Hong, Lamurde, Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Numan, Shelleng, Song, Toungo, and Yola South,” the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Kasim Gaidam had announced.
The total number of 128,324 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots.
The battle for who governs the state is essentially between the incumbent governor and candidate of the APC, Muhammad Bindow and the PDP candidate, Ahmadu Fintiri.
However, results collated so far show that the PDP has a total of 367,472 votes, while the APC has 334,995. The margin between them is 32,476 votes.
DAILY POST brings you the live update of events as they unfold in Adamawa State.
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