Apathy, low turnout mar LG poll in Niger

Low turnout and voters’ apathy on Saturday characterised the Niger State local government election.
Voters and parties agents blamed neglect and ill-treatment from the ruling All Progressives Congress government in the state for this.
The exercise, which was carried out without the card reader machines, saw scanty presence of eligible voters.
An electorate, Idris Bala, who refused to participate, said: “Why would people come out to vote when they (APC) lied to us?
“When the APC government came, we thought real change had come.
“But since they took over governance in 2015, it has been hell.
“So, most of us here have decided not to vote because they already know who will win.”
One of the accredited voters, Dan Isaac, said: “If we vote, at the end of the day, they will not allow the real winner to emerge.
“We are tired of being used.
“Although, it’s peaceful, but the turnout is very poor.
“I can say that whether it is 10 people or 100 people that turn out, we want to see the end of the exercise.”
One of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Agent for Gbakuta 1 in Bosso Local Government Area, Aminu Banze Musa,‎ lamented the low turnout.
Musa said: “It is as a result of apathy.
“The people seem to be tired.”
Also, the APC agent in the area, Mohammed Mohammed, decried the low turnout.
Mohammed said up till now (12 noon) in a polling unit of 1,407 registered voters, only 47 persons had come out to vote.
Our correspondent went to Kofar Shaba polling unit in Chanchaga Ward 010, Bosso Local Government Area, where the Presiding officer, Mohammed Tukur, said a total 1,552 persons registered, but only 47 voters came out to vote in the ward.