…As Collation Of Results Progresses
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Just as the results of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections are being awaited in Kwara State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced that it would cancel the result in Tsaragi, Polling Unit 010 in Edu Local Government Area of the state.
This was because of a reported case of ballot snatching at Tsaragi Polling Unit 10 by some alleged hoodlums on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, there was violence at Anifowoshe ‘Ward 08’ in Ubandawaki area of Ilorin West Local Government Area, making about the only such case reported earlier on Saturday in the presidential and National Assembly elections in Kwara.
It was at the polling unit of the former Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who was contesting the PDP senatorial election that the trouble emanated from almost when he was about to vote.
Trouble began to build up when INEC’s election materials did arrive on time in most of the voting units of Ilorin, the state capital, which doubles as the headquarters of Kwara Central senatorial district.
The election materials did not arrive until 1.30 p.m. The voters had started becoming impatient, by 1.00 p.m before their anger grew at the time the former minister arrived the venue.
Meanwhile, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mallam Garuba Attahiru Madami, declared on Sunday afterternoon that the Tsaragi Polling Unit would be cancelled. Tsaragi is in Edu Local Government Area of the state.
Madami told the newsmen that the cancellation was in line with the extant rules guiding the conduct of the elections.
Speaking on the observed late arrival of materials and INEC on Saturday, Madami lamented the problem, particularly in some parts of Ilorin West Local Government Area, which is also in the state capital and the subsequent late commencement of voting at Registration Area Centre, RAC.
Madmai said, “It took us up to 11a.m. before we finished the distribution of logistics and immediately I knew we are starting late. I extended the time of voting until the last person on queue voted.”
The REC said that out of 2,887 polling units in Kwara, only one polling unit had its ballot boxes snatched and that was Tsaragi. The development, however, was still commendable compared to the past experiences in the state leading to series of court cases.
The REC denied the allegation that INEC used vehicles belonging to one of the political parties involved in the election to distribute INEC election materials on Saturday.
Meanwhile, collation of seven out of the sixteen local government areas of the state had been done at the time of filing in this report, while that of others, particularly the distant local governments from the state capital were still being awaited.
