#NigeriaDecides2019 | Delayed voting in Abuja

Mix-up in polling units in Kabusa Registration area of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja prevented many from casting their votes during the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections on Saturday.

Many of the voters, who trooped out in their hundreds in Lugbe as early as 7 am to exercise their voting rights could not do so because of mix-up in their polling units.

Some of the polling units affected were Lugbe New/Market Square; Lugbe Across; Aso Estate, Aco Estate and Lugbe Primary School.

In their desperation to vote, the electorate were force to move from one polling unit to the other, when they cannot found their names. Few of them returned back home in disappointment when they could not locate their polling units.

A voter, simply named Amama Pauline, said she lives at the Central District Area now but registered in Aco Estate. Pauline cast her vote in 2011 at Sabon-Lugbe polling youth but could not find her names in all the five polling units she was directed to.

Assisted by her husband, Pauline started from New Lugbe/Market Square polling unit, to Aco Estate, Sabon-Lugbe and Aso Estate

Another woman, who accosted an INEC official at the New Lugbe/Market Square polling station that she was coming from another polling unit but directed to the unit, said she could still not find her name. As soon as the INEC officer told her to go and check in another polling unit, she was annoyed and said she was going back home.

People had to trek about six to 10 kilometers in desperation to vote yet many couldn’t see their names.

The INEC official at the New Lugbe/Market Square polling unit said three other polling units were created from Unit 10 just on Saturday morning before the voting commence, hence, the mix-up witnessed by voters.

The polling Units, according to him were 10A, 10B, and 10C, making four units in addition with Unit 10.

Apart from the mix-up, all other process went on smoothly, while the card readers worked perfectly in all the four units. The INEC official arrived after 9am and voting commenced around 10am.

As at 2.10pm, the earlier time the voting was expected to end, voters were still looking for their names at Lugbe Primary School Centre, with 13 polling units. Hundreds of voters were still on the queue, waiting to cast their votes.

However, by 2p.m, voting had been completed and stopped at New Lugbe/Market Square. Those who came after 2pm to check their names were not allowed to vote.

When tribuneonline.ng asked the INEC officials of possible extension, they said they were not aware of such plan.

One of them explained that if people were already on the queues before 2pm, they would have being attended to.