Stakeholders decry late arrival of materials during Suleja polls

Stakeholders in the rescheduled Suleja Local Government Area elections on Saturday condemned late arrival of materials used in the polls.

Electoral officers, voters and observers who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Suleja and environs said voter accreditation started late in many of the polling units.

NAN checks revealed that many eligible voters who came out early for accreditation did not see electoral officials at their duty posts.

NAN reports that accreditation started late at the Kuspa; Angwan Gayan; Town Hall; Technical (opposite INEC office); and Kwamba polling units.

A voter at Kuspa Ward, Musa Shehu said: ``We just started accreditation now at12.30p.m.

``Many people have been waiting since morning; but we are happy because voters are being given ballot papers as they finished accreditation’’.

At the Town Hall polling unit, voters, party agents and security personnel were seen waiting for the electoral officials.

``Our people are eager to cast their vote and we do not want any delay,’’ Alhaji Mamman Gambo, the Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Niger said that his party was ready for the elections in spite of the lapses.

``We know all elections have one challenge or the other.

``This is a local election among brothers, so we do not expect any bad blood; It is a family affair,’’ he said.

Gambo also dispelled the rumour making the rounds that PDP was not participating in the election.

Meanwhile, the security agents enforced the directive for partial restrictions of movement in the local government.

NAN reports that only accredited electoral personnel, news men, medical staff were allowed to move around while voters were restricted to their polling units.

However, there was no restriction of commuters along the Maje and Kaduna express roads.