The day dawned bright and fair. Nigerians woke up, yesterday, with only one thing in their mind: To go out and peacefully elect their next president. The television stations came up live very early, affording Nigerians the opportunity to witness the main presidential candidates vote.
Many saw live the ease with which the presidential standard- bearer of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, got accredited . In fifty seconds, he and his wife, Aisha, were accredited. With the ease they saw on the television with which the card reader performed, they rushed out to their polling units expecting to be captured with the same ease.
Not many saw what the card reader did to President Jonathan and his wife, Patience, and so, out there in the field, it was a mixed bag of experience for the voters.
Across the states, it’s different strokes for different folks as the presidential election experience left many gasping for breath.
“I didn’t vote,” said Pastor Innocent. “We didn’t see the INEC people. We are still waiting for them. But there is no sign that anything is going on here. It’s a shame”.
“ I got accredited before 8.30am. We started early in my unit,”said Mrs Bisiriyu. “Everything is working smoothly here.”
The Sultan been accredited
The Sultan been accredited yesterday in Sokoto
Nigerians are law-abiding citizens who complied with all the rules. The shops were closed. Businesses were not opened. People either stayed at the polling units waiting to get accredited and vote or stayed home with their families. The young boys used the opportunity to play in the free roads while vehicular movement was restricted.
The rest kept busy with house chores.
Apart from coming out en masse to exercise their franchise, the elections provided opportunity for people to meet their neighbours they have not had time to see or speak with over the months due to the ever busy schedule of work and business. While they waited for INEC officials to commence the voting process, they updated themselves on happenings about them.
As early as 7am, many Nigerians of voting age had stepped out to their various polling units to get accredited. Some had their dreams to vote without hitches fulfilled but others got disappointed due to the different experiences they encountered in the field.
As at 4pm in many polling units around Lagos, accreditation was still going because the card reader failed.
“I didn’t get accredited,” said Mary Joseph.” My name was not in the list. I came out very early but my name was not the the list. Maybe, I was meant to go and vote at another polling unit but things are not smooth at all. This is where I registered and got my PVC. But my name was not there. My husband waited when I left but the card reader failed. So, he did manual accreditation. When they finished the accreditation, they said the ballot box was not yet available. It is past three O’clock. Look at the them at the unit. The card reader failed and there was no ballot box. He is still there.”
One of the voters said they started accreditation at 3:30pm.
“We don’t know what happened with INEC officials. We didn’t see them until three o’clock. We are just commencing.”
In many polling units, patient voters waited under the sun and rain to exercise their franchise. Despite the queues and the long wait and occasional exchange of hot words between voters and INEC officials, in most centres, voting went on peaceful.
In some centres, INEC people did not come at all as at 4.30pm and the voters said they would wait to see the end of it all.
“ I want to see the end of everything. I came out here as early as 8am and up till now (4pm), nothing has happened in my voting unit. INEC officials came this morning and we tried to do accreditation but nothing happened. The card reader failed. They brought hand sanitiser, soap and detergents. They asked us to wash our hands very well for the oil to reduce. It didn’t work. It’s around 3pm that the card reader began to work but it’s slow. That is why you are seeing this crowd but we will wait.”
For Badmus Lawal, everything went well in the polling units he voted.
“It’s smooth all along. My wife and I got there and got accredited with the same card reader that people were complaining about. By 1pm, the accreditation was officially declared closed by the INEC official and by 1.30pm, we commenced voting and everything went smoothly. I have no sad story to tell”.
Security forces, others very civil
The soldiers complied with the court injunction that ordered them off the streets. There were only police check-points who were strict but very civil. Policemen and other security agencies manned the polling booths. Agents of various political parties were also on grounds to monitor the election process. Red Cross, civil society groups and other observers were also on ground.
Generally, despite the issues and malfunctioning card reader, accreditation and voting were generally peaceful. There were no issues, no incidents besides INEC’s malfunctioning card reader and late arrival of ballot boxes.
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