Voters delay balloting, insist on due process in Kogi

Registered Voters at Polling Unit 03, Ward 10 Odo-Egbe in Yagba West of Kogi State on Saturday insisted that due process should be followed before voting could commence.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the voters expressed their displeasure due to alleged irregularities experienced during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the area.

The people refused to allow the election process to commence by protesting that Party Agents should not be allowed to follow any voter to polling booth for thumb-printing.

Some of the voters: Shola Alaba, Ebun Adebisi, Tope Adebayo and Ruth Samuel, told NAN that a particular party agent was cornering voters at the polling booth to thumbprint for his party.

They also alleged that the irregularities were being perpetrated in collaboration with the security personnel attached to the polling unit.

NAN reports that the voting later commenced at about 9:30am at the polling unit after the issues were successfully resolved by the Independent National Electoral Commission Presiding Officer.

NAN reports that a 90-year-old woman, Oni Adeyemi, aided with a walking stick, was the first to cast her vote.

The nonagenarian expressed satisfaction with the process, adding that her passion for the community motivated her to come out to vote.

Other polling units monitored in Egbe were Ward 03, Unit 03; Ward 04, Unit 01; Ward 01, Unit 04; and Ward 04, Unit 02 in Odo-Eri.

NAN reports that the BVAS was performing at a very low pace at Ward 04, Unit 02 at Odo-Eri.

NAN also reports that the turnout of voters was generally very low across Mopamuro, Yagba East and West Local Government Areas of Kogi State.