Despite the low turn out of voters in Niger State, most eligible voters have resolved to vote in an indigenous governor.
They said after eight years rule by an Hausa man, they have had enough.
Indications have it on Saturday that eligible voters in Paikoro, Bida, Lapai, Agaia, Lavun, Shiroro, Munya, Chanchaga, Bosso, Wushishi, Rafi, Mariga, Suleja, Tafa and Gurara Local Government Areas have pitched their tents for an indigenous candidate, Umar Nasko of the Peoples Democratic Party.
It was gathered that Nasko is leading in most local government areas.
The voters kept saying this is the time for real election contest and that among the three leading governorship candidates – Abubakar Sani Bello (All Progressives Congress, Nasko and Zuliyu Hassan Iman (Social Democratic Party – only two are true Nigerlites.
An indigene of Kuta town in Shiroro Local Government Area at the Islamiyya polling unit in Banga Jiya ward, Mallam Abubakar Kuta, said: “This is a battle of supremacy and we are all out to vote in the government that is close to the people.
“During the presidential election, there was an understanding in the North and so majority of the people voted for Muhammadu Buhari.
“But this time around, we are going to vote for a true Nigerlite.”
Another voter in Paiko town, Paikoro Local Government Area, Abdullahi Mohammed, said: “You can see now that the turn out is not as high as the presidential election.
“The people you see here do not want to vote in another Hausa man, since Governor Babangida Aliyu is from Sokoto State (Hausa), but we have resolved to vote in a true Nigerlite (a Kamberi) because we have checked everything.
“As Gbagyi people, we do not want another Hausa man to rule us again.”
Iliya Bawa, a Gbagyi man, told journalists: “We, the Gbagyis, Nupes and Kamberis have jointly resolved that ‘our own’ must be voted as governor.
“No more another eight years of foreigner as governor.”
Party agents from the PDP and the APC were visible, unlike during the presidential election where only APC agents were seen everywhere, with almost no PDP agent.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Niger State, Nasir Ayilara, said the exercise is free, fair and credible, adding that there are no cases of malpractices so far in the state.
There were some reports of card readers malfunctioning in some units, but the Electoral Officer in Shiroro Local Government Area, Isah Idakwo, however handled and rectified the hiccups.
It should be noted that INEC out of the 2,014,317 registered voters, only 1,682,058 collected their Permanent Voter Cards (83.51 per cent) in Niger State.