As shops, bike riders violate no free movement order
…our votes no longer count so there’s no need to vote-Bwari residents
Apathy, low voters turnout mar Saturday Area Council elections in Bwari as residents refused to exercise their civic right claiming their votes in the presidential and National Assembly polls was never counted.
A visit by TNG to major polling zones clearly indicate that residents of Bwari Area Council stayed at home rather than going out to cast their votes.
At EC 30 in Kubwa axis of Bwari where more than seven polling units had more than 3000 voters registered, had less than 50 voters performed their civic rights in each of the 7 polling units.
Same feat was repeated at the EC 30B in Dutsen Alhaji axis of the council as few voters had turned up to vote as at 11.45am.
In several polling units such as 11C polling unit more than 100 voters were already on queue to vote after accreditation as at 10.30am during the presidential election but only 39 voters had voted as 12noon.
Also at Unit 10 Usuma 009 polling centre more than 120 voters in the presidential and National Assembly polls had voted as at 10.30 am but as at 11am on Saturday only 23 voters had voted.
At Unit 062 Usama1 polling station as early as 8.30am more than 1000 voters had besieged the INEC major unit during the presidential and national Assembly polls but today’s election as at 11.23am only 125 voters had voted.
TNG findings however revealed that as early as 8am bikers and commercial outlets had opened for business rubbishing the security directive that there is a restriction of movement till 2pm.
Some of the operators interviewed told TNG that there was no need to vote as the contestants failed and their votes in the last election was never counted.
Mrs Obiageli Ojomah a food vendor told TNG “I decided to shun the election because two weeks ago we voted and the results declared by INEC was greatly doctored.
” You expect me to go there and waste my precious time while my business suffers, no way,” she declared.
Ahmed Abubakar a fruit vendor in Byazhin in Kubwa told TNG that ” I am from Katsina state I go there go vote for president and now me no go vote for council because them no tar this road you no see dust oga’, he asked.
” I no go vote and I open my business to sell last time I no sell at all.
Another resident in Kubwa Mrs Flavour Idahosa, a civil servant simply said” we have lost confidence in INEC as our democracy will soon be truncated very soon.
“Are you surprised that people refused to come out, subsequent elections will be worst because our votes no longer count so why stress yourself” she wondered.
In all the polling units visited by TNG the turn out was poor in comparison to the March 23rd presidential and National Assembly polls.
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