Late arrival of election materials on Saturday delayed the take-off of the Local Government Election in some parts of Kaduna State, as accreditation of voters started around 11am in most parts the metropolis.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports however, that the election has been violent free after it finally took off.
NAN correspondents who went round polling units report that accreditation of voters had reached advanced stages in most places, as voters were being accredited in polling units in Rail Way Crossing, Magajin Gari, Kano Road, and Waff Road and Independence.
But the process had yet to begin as at noon in some parts of Tudun Wada, Zango, Sabon Gari and Kargi areas also within the metropolis due non arrival of election materials.
Also in Rigasa in Igabi Local Government Area the process commenced with the distribution of election Materials.
Security operatives including the police, officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps as well as Local vigilante were also at hand to ensure that the election was violent free.
Similar delays were experienced in parts of Chikun, Kaduna South and Kajuru LGAs.
Some voters interviewed expressed sadness over the delay.
Michael Akok , a voter in Dakachin High Cost, said he had been out since 7a.m and there had been no electoral official or voting materials at the polling unit.
He said other residents were out also waiting to be verified before they can start voting but the officials were nowhere around the polling unit.
But an official of the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission blamed the delays on technical errors.
Ibrahim Shehu a Presiding Officer at the polling unit said that the delay was due to delay in the transportation of materials from the LGA headquarters to the unit.
Shehu said: “We made adequate transport arrangement but the whole arrangement failed us.’’
Similarly the delay was witnessed in Southern parts of the state due to heavy rainfall.
NAN reports that early morning downpour which began around 7 a.m. affected the election processes in Jema’a, Sanga, Kaura, Zangon Kataf and Jaba LGAs of the state.
Most polling units visited had low turnout of voters as most people remained in their houses.
In Gwantu, Sanga LGA, although, election had commenced in at a few polling stations as early as 8a.m., the downpour forced residents to remain indoors.
Malam Isiaka Ladan, an electoral officer at the Dakachin polling unit told NAN that officials of the state electoral commission resumed early enough for the exercise but the rain slowed down the process.
Ladan said: “The rain is a natural phenomenon and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”
Also, speaking Hon. Haliru Dangana, representing Sanga-Gwantu said but for the rainfall, arrangements were completed by members of his constituency to come out en mass to exercise their franchise.
Also commenting Alhaji Abdulmuminin Ashafa, Administrator of Sanga LGA said although, the exercise had since commenced before the rains, it was a natural cause that would not stop the process.
Ashafa said adequate arrangement had been made for security of lives and property, adding, “we are hopeful that there will not be any cause for concern’’.
NAN reports that the most polling stations in places visited recorded low turnout of voters due to the persistent rainfall.
But the election was hitch free in Soba LGA as Alhaji Nasiru Abdu-Banki, the administrator the LGA said the conduct of the state poll in the area had been hitch free.
Abdu-Banki disclosed this while speaking with NAN in Soba on Saturday.
He said: “This is the day we have been waiting for, in view of that, we have made adequate preparation especially in the area of security and other logistics.
“We are happy, the elections is going on peacefully, up to now there is no report of any hitch or breakdown of law and order from anywhere across the LGA.”
Also speaking, the LGA’s Electoral Officer of the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission, Nuradden Ahmed-Abdullahi, corroborated the claim.
He said: “We have completed the distribution of electoral materials to various wards as early as 7 am.
“Some wards have equally distributed theirs to various polling units and elections have since commenced.
“All political parties and security agencies are here and distribution was done in their presence.
“So far, we don’t have any challenge, everything is going on smoothly.”
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