The electorate in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger East Senatorial District in Niger State on Saturday defied a two-hour rain to get accredited and vote for their candidate in the bye-election for the area.
This was even as a van that belongs to the Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday night hit and broke the leg of a villager, who was on a motorbike riding home.
When our correspondent spoke to the bike man, who identified himself as David Barau, he said: “I carried my passenger and few minutes after, the INEC van, which was on high speed, just hit us and we fell.
“Unfortunately, he (the passenger, Usman Ismail) broke his leg.”
Barau informed our correspondent that after they were hit, INEC refused to take Ismail to the hospital.
Another eyewitness Shekwolo Barau, who is a sister of the bike rider, said: “Till now as I am talking to you, they (INEC) did not even treat my brother or bother to repair his bike.
“As for the young man that broke his leg, they only used bandage to tie his leg.”
The INEC Electoral Officer in charge of Shiroro, Moses Arum, at the INEC office in Kuta, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.
Arum, however, said it was a minor accident, adding: “The said youths of Gwada in Kuta disrupted the activities of our officers who arrived at Gwada on Friday night after the accident issue was settled.
“My officers arrived Gwada yesterday (Friday) and went straight to the where the rack were kept.
“But the youths of Kuta caused serious problems for them and they could not arrange the materials for the elections that night.
“On the young man, we tried to take him to the hospital for treatment but they told us they would prefer native treatment and we asked what we can do and we gave them what they demanded, which was N20,000.
“They are not fair to us to say that we abandoned him.
“We had to park our van because his life was more important.
“We thank God eventually it was not a case of death.
“When I was contacted that some youth tried to disrupt our activities, I quickly drew the attention of the Nigerian Police Force and they hurried got to the place where the rack is and assisted our officers to the Police Station that is close to the Collation Centre.
“As I am talking to you now, everything is in order and materials are being distributed to different polling units.”
It was reliably gathered that Usman was given N20,000 and was not abandoned as a Director from INEC also visited the victim in his home.
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