FEW minutes after 8:30 am, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) adhoc staff are yet to arrive at some polling units in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Edo, Sokoto, Kaduna, Delta and Kwara states, among others.
This has led to anxiety on the part og voters who have trooped out in large numbers to cast their votes.
The election of the Presidential and senatorial candidates is currently holding across the 36 states of the country and the FCT.
Eighteen political parties are participating in the presidential election across 176,846 polling units in 8,809 wards.
The ICIR reporter observed that as 8:25 am, INEC officials are yet to arrive at several polling units. The election is expected to start by 8:30 am with accreditation of voters.
In Edo State, at Polling Unit 019, Ward 06, in Ighekpe community town hall, Uhumwode LGA, INEC officials and security agents were not in sight as at 8:17 am. The ICIR observed that no voters register has been pasted on the wall. In Ogodineze, Polling Unit 015, Ward 12, also I Edo State, no INEC officials were sighted as at 8:30 am.
In Delta State, The ICIR observed that INEC officials have not arrived at Polling Unit 02, Oko Amakom Ward, as at 8:30 am.
Similarly, The ICIR observed that INEC adhoc staff were yet to dispatch voting materials at St. Peter Angelica Primary School Polling Unit in Lagos State as at 8:35 am.
At a polling unit in Kano Road/Samaru Ward, Sabon Gari LGA of Kaduna State, INEC officials and election materials are yet to arrive at 8:30 am.
The ICIR also observed that INEC officials are not present at Galadimawa/City View Estate, Municipal LGA of Abuja as at 9:02 am. Also in Kubwa, residents are stranded as at 8:40 am as INEC staff yet to arrive.
In Kwara State, INEC officials and voting materials have not arrived at Polling Unit 004, Alanamu Central, Ilorin West, as at 8:40 am.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M