Guber polls: Buhari, Tinubu, Obi, others vote
President Muhammadu Buhari casts his vote amidst security agents in Daura metropolis. Photo: Bello Wakili/Radio Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari has cast his vote in the ongoing Governorship and state Assembly elections in Daura, Katsina State.
The President, after going through verifications by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), voted at exactly 10:00 am at the Sarkin Yara Ward ‘A’ polling unit in his hometown, Daura.
He was accompanied to the polling unit by the Presidential Media Adviser, Malam Garba Shehu and some of his aides.
Shortly after casting his vote, the president said he was confident that his party would emerge victorious in the elections.
He said his administration has taken measures to curtail vote-buying, which he said has been a bottleneck to free and fair elections in the past.
The President advised Nigerians to reject food and cash inducements by politicians, saying even if they accept such gestures, they should still vote the candidates of their choice.
President Buhari noted the significant improvement in the gubernatorial and state assembly elections compared with the previous election, and commended INEC for the improvements.
He also called on prospective voters across the country to vote for credible persons in the governorship and state assembly elections.
Accreditation and voting commenced around 08:30 am in some polling units in parts of Nigeria as voters filed out to the polls to elect governors in some states and members of the state houses of Assembly.
Similarly, The president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu cast his vote in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.
Senator Tinubu, who won the February 25 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), cast his vote at polling Unit 085, Ward F, Sunday Adigun, Alausa in Ikeja.
The governorship and state houses of assembly elections are taking place today across 28 out of the 36 states of the federation.
The state elections, the second phase of the 2023 General Election, were initially scheduled for March 11 but deferred by one week following a Court of Appeal order granting INEC permission to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the exercise.
APC will win all the 28 states
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, after casting his vote on Saturday said that his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress will win all the 28 states where governorship elections are taking place.
Senator Lawan made the remark in response to questions from journalists at the Katuzu ward polling unit in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State where he cast his vote during the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
The APC currently controls 21 of the 36 states and had an outright win in 12 states during the last Presidential vote.
Obi encourages voters
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has encouraged Nigerians to go and vote.
Mr Obi stated this shortly after casting his vote at about 11.20am.
“I exercised my franchise by casting my vote in my polling unit. My dear wife Margaret also voted. I encourage every registered Nigerian voter, who have not yet voted to go and do so,” he said.
Also, The Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, cast his vote in the ongoing governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Senator Shettima voted some minutes after eleven in the morning at his polling unit Alhaji Shettima Kukawa 023 in Lamisula Jabbari ward, in the state capital of Borno State, Maiduguri.
The Vice President-elect commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for improvement in the process.
He said it took him few minutes to be accredited and cast his vote which was not the case during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
Meanwhile, sorting and counting has commenced in most polling units in Maiduguri Metropolis.
Low turn-out of voters
The APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has decried the low turn-out of voters at his Angwan Rimi GRA 1A Polling Unit 010, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
In an interview with Radio Nigeria shortly after casting his vote, Senator Adamu called on eligible voters who had yet to exercise their franchise to do so.
In Nasarawa Eggon local government area, where voting started very late and entered the second day during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the electorate were happy with the early commencement of the governorship and state assembly elections in different polling units across the area.
Meanwhile, there have been reported cases of voter apathy in some of the polling units in Keana local government area, owing to issues of political interest.
Only INEC can transmit results-Lai Mohammed
INEC has been identified as the only body with legal backing to determine the mode of collation and transmission of election results.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed at Polling Unit 006, Oro Ward II in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State described this general election as the most transparent and peaceful.
He said the agitation in some quarters that the electoral body should be transmitting results from polling units was unnecessary.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, however, expressed satisfaction that most of those who were aggrieved during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections have gone to court.
On the perceived low turn-out of voters, the Minister said more people would still come out to exercise their franchise because the process is peaceful and seamless.
Meanwhile, there was some commotion at Okekere area of Ilorin West Local Government where a party agent was arrested by security personnel for alleged vote-buying.
Voting is in progress at Alanamu, Oju-Ekun Zarumi and Adewole wards, but turn-out is relatively low.
Large turnout of voters
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero has commended the large turnout of voters for the governorship and state house of assembly.
Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero made the commendation shortly after voting at Tudun Wuzirci ward, Ado Bayero islamiyya, Kofar Kwaru, at 11:am.
The emir prayed for credible leaders as well as peace and stability in the country.
Reporting by Bello Wakili, Abdulrazaq Bello, Khadija Aliyu and Kalu Idika; Editing by Abdullahi Lamino and Tony Okerafor