Key highlights
- Nigeria’s President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with President Buhari and ex-President Jonathan, cast their votes for Lagos and Bayelsa governorship elections respectively.
- Movement of sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the elections began early in some areas, with some polling units already setting up for voting as early as 7:00 a.m.
- There is a large turnout of voters in Lagos, while the Southeast witnessed areas of low turnout, and Kebbi experienced massive turnout for the exercise. Army personnel enforced the restriction of movement in Zaria.
Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu cast his votes for the governorship of Lagos State earlier today.
Tinubu was joined by President Muhammad Buhari and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan who cast their votes for their preferred candidates.
Tinubu in a tweet said: “I just joined other Nigerians in exercising my civic duty in the ongoing governorship and state assembly elections. I encourage you all to go out and vote peacefully.”
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan said ‘voted at Unit 13, Ward 39 in Otuoke, Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State, at the ongoing State Assembly election, adding:
- “I call on security agencies to be professional in their duties & apprehend those who may attempt to use violence to undermine our democratic process. “
Early voting: The movement of sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the governorship and house of assembly elections began early in some Registration Area Centres (RACs) in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported on Saturday that ad hoc staff assigned to the various polling units were seen moving materials, such as boxes, tables, ballot papers, ink pads and other items to their respective polling units without any hitch, they said:
- “At Basorun High School, Bodewasinmi, hosting two wards, voting materials were already on the ground as early as 7.00 a.m., while the situation was the same at Ikolaba High School, Ibadan.
- “At 7.24 a.m., two polling units at Ososami junction, on Ring Road, were seen setting up to commence voting at the stipulated time.
In Lagos as early as 7.00 a.m, reports emerged that there is a large turnout of the voters as Voters in the Eti-Osa Constituency area of Lagos State have thronged polling units to register their names preparatory to voting in the governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
In the early morning, the Southeast witnessed areas of low turnout as voting materials started arriving in Polling Units at about 8:30 a.m. but the voters were yet to arrive in Abia state.
In the North, Election officials arrived early for the Gubernatorial and State Assembly Election in Kebbi, as voters turned out massively for the exercise as accreditations and voting commenced place simultaneously in polling units in Birnin Kebbi.
In Zaria, A team of army personnel mounted a checkpoint at Kwangila Flyover in Sabon Gari Local Government, Kaduna State to enforce the restriction of movement during the Governorship/Assembly elections.