The Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election on Saturday began on a shaky note as only a few voters turned out at polling centres.
The by-election followed the death of Olajide Akinremi of the All Progressives Congress on July 10.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission arrived as early as 7:30 a.m. at various polling centres, but voter presence was scanty.
At Bodija Ward 10 Unit 26 (8:22 a.m.) and Ward 5 Unit 19 (8:27 a.m.), INEC officials were already on the ground, setting up for the exercise.
âWe are 100 per cent ready at Methodist Grammar School, Bodija, Ward 5, Unit 26. As you can see, we are setting up and waiting for voters. Their list will be pasted soon,â Omolara Gbamigbade, an INEC official, said.
Similarly, Bolaji Abiona, a PDP agent at Ward 10 Unit 26, noted: âEverything is set. INEC is here, the police are here. We are waiting for people so accreditation and voting can commence.â
The first voter at Ward 10 Unit 27, Police Station, Bodija Housing Corporation, Miss Oluwaseun Omisakin, arrived at 9:07 a.m. and cast her vote within five minutes.
According to her, the process was smooth. âI got to where the votersâ list was pasted and saw my name. I wasnât even expecting it. The comportment of the INEC officials was excellent, especially how the BVAS official handled the minor glitch that occurred. It showed they were prepared,â she said.
NAN, however, reports that apart from Omisakin and one other voter, no one else had turned up at the polling unit by the time of filing the report.
At Sango, Oju Irin, opposite Gateway Baptist Church, Ward 8 Unit 031, PDP party agent, Ajayi Lucas, lamented the late arrival of officials.
âWe have been calling the collation officer to alert him that INEC officials were not on ground, only for them to arrive at 9:50 a.m. This is not acceptable, it ought not to be so,â Lucas said.
INEC officials were also yet to be seen at Ward 8 Unit 1, Sango Ibadan, at the time of reporting.
