Counting of votes has commenced in various polling units in Yola, Adamawa State, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
A NAN correspondent, who visited some polling units in the Jimeta area of the state capital, reports that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission have concluded the vote counting and announced result at 5.30pm.
“You know the turn out this time around is not much and the fact that things went smoothly hence the timely conclusion of the exercise,” a party agent told NAN on condition of anonymity in one polling unit at Ribadu Square that pasted its result.
Reports from Mubi, Numan, Ganye, Girei, Gombi and Maiha towns also confirmed that counting of votes is progressing smoothly.
Meanwhile, some political parties and candidates in the state commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the Governorship and House of Assembly election in the state.
Some of the candidates and parties who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria over the elections lauded INEC for the improvement recorded in the exercise across the state.
“It is very orderly. I must commend INEC for improving on what we witnessed two weeks ago,” Dr. Ahmed Modibbo, the Peoples Democratic Movement governorship candidate, said.
Modibbo said he was ready to accept the outcome of the exercise going by what he saw so far.
On his part, the Peoples Democratic Party flag bearer, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, lauded the conduct of the poll, describing it as “so far so good”.
Ribadu said he has left everything in the hands of God.
Similarly, Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, the state Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, commended the conduct of the election and urged INEC to sustain the tempo up to the release of final results.
“We are so far happy with what is going on and hope INEC will sustain the smooth exercise up to the final conclusion,” Lawal said.
Dr. John Luka, the state Secretary of Social Democratic Party, also described the exercise as “laudable”, adding that the party has no cause to complain.