Right at the polling unit 001 located just outside the official residence of the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed in Life Camp, tension rose at the polling unit following an attempt by an INEC Polling Officer (PO) to smuggle a card reader away from the polling unit.
Some eagle-eyed party agents and voters, who were vigilant, immediately intercepted the NYSC ad-hoc INEC staff, demanding an explanation for the action.
The said official said the card reader had developed fault after only being able to access just three cards and needed to be changed. The agents, who felt his action and explanation was doubtful was, barred him from stepping out of the centre with the card reader.
The party agents argued, intensely with the other INEC officials, who tried to intervene in the matter, saying that the “PO should have informed them about the development so that they could accompany him to wherever he was going to change the device as he claimed”.
One of the party agents at the polling unit, Zakari Abubakar, said: But, he cannot just carry it away like that without informing us (party agents). I suspect a foul play that is why l am raising alarm and if they bring another card reader without us accompanying them we are not going to allow them to use it.
He said further that: “What I expect of INEC is that they should have informed us. At least one agent each from the parties present here should follow them so that they will not just carry any one from anywhere and bring here. There is nothing that is not possible in Nigeria.”
However, a INEC official brought a new card reader, taking away the faulty one. This action further infuriated the party agents who further pointed out that the faulty card reader should be kept at the centre and returned to INEC after the voting exercise.
Another agent said that they got a hint that the said faulty card reader was being taken to the house of a rich man in the area to rig the election.
In all the confusion and the slow pace of the accreditation at the center, many voters in their hundreds waited patiently to exercise their franchise. According to the electorate, the late arrival of INEC officials at the polling unit contributed to the slow process.
According to a voter, Comrade Etanami Etanami, the delay in arrival of INEC officials to the centre was a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise Nigerians. Due to the slow progress, a lot of people will not be able to cast their votes. Adding that, “despite how beautiful the card reader is, it makes the process to be cumbersome. The election will definitely get in to the night so there will be a lot of agitation,” he said.