There is heightened anxiety in Taraba State over late arrival and distribution of election materials across the state.
The Senior Special Assistance to governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba on Media and Publicity, Bala Danhabu, disclosed this to Tribune Online in Jalingo, Taraba State capital.
Danhabu complained that up to the time of filing this report, the state office of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) was yet to receive the materials for the Saturday’s presidential and national assembly election.
He lamented that due to the vast nature of the state with areas having a distance of two days trip to arrive at voting stations, it is likely that many people may be disenfranchised due to the late arrival of the election materials in the state.
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He said the state government is worried that election materials were not distributed to areas like Mbamga in Sadauna local government area, Abon at the bolder area of Cameroon in Kurmi local government area and Dampar at the hinterland of the Taraba/Plateau border in Ibi local government area which is over 15 hours trip from Jalingo.
“As I speak to you, materials are yet to come to the state, we are receiving distress calls from the people of the state from various local government areas and there is serious anxiety already among the people of the state over the yet to be distributed election materials.
Responding, the Public Relations Officer, INEC in Taraba State Mr Fabian Yame, who spoke to Tribune Online at about 4:34 pm on Friday, said the materials for the election were been offloaded at the INEC office in the state for onward distribution.
“Come over and see yourself, we are offloading the materials at our office as we speak for distribution across the state.
Tribune Online at the INEC office gathered that the materials arrived in the state at about 3:47 pm, it was also gathered that it may take the INEC officers more than 17 hours to get to some polling stations in the state to for commencement of the election process.