Live: Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Election
The much-anticipated Governorship and State Houses of Assembly election is here after it was initially postponed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC from March 11 to March 18 to enable it to reconfigure the BVAS ahead of the polls.
Now that the BVAS have been reconfigured, distribution of electoral materials have been distributed to the polling units as Nigerians get ready to elect their choice candidates.
Only 28 states will be participating in the governorship election, and they are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, and Delta.
Other are Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, and Lagos.
Participating states also include Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
However, States like, Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo and Osun will not be participating in the Governorship elections.
Be that as it may, all the 36 states will be electing members of the House of Assembly as the candidates are digging it out for the 993 legislative seats.
Radio Nigeria will keep you updated on the happenings around the country as they unfold.
You can join us on our live stream on YouTube: Radio Nigeria Network and all our social media.
12.16pm: Party agent arrested in Kwara
Voting exercise is ongoing across the four local Government Areas that made up the Kwara Central Senatorial District.
At a polling unit located inside the Ansarul-Islam Primary School Okekere, in Ilorin West Local Government, a party agent was arrested by security officers for alleged vote buying.
The arrest led to some uproar within the location which had more than 10 polling units, but the situation was later brought under control and voting continued in the area.
There was also uproar and disagreements between INEC adhoc staff and party agents at polling unit O40, Oju Ekun Zarumi ward, as some electorates failed the BVAS accreditation.
Photo: Lawrence Afolabi
Bauchi metropolis
Voting commenced at about 8:30am in some polling units with low turnout of voters compared to the Presidential and National Assembly election.
Radio Nigeria observed that process with the Bio-Modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS machines was seamless.
People were orderly in most of the Polling Stations as they queue to cast their ballots.
Security agents were also present in all polling units and major streets of the metropolis to ensure calm.
The elderly, persons with disability, and essential workers were given priority to cast votes.
Photo:Murtala Muhammad
In Sokoto state, 11.12am
The election commenced as scheduled.
Some voters told Radio Nigeria that the governorship and state Assembly election was more organized than the Presidential and National Assembly election.
Photo: Nasir Malali
11am. INEC suspends voting over vote buying
INEC has suspended voting for 30 minutes at Bakin Kasuwa Kofar sarkin aska with number 006 in Damagum Fune LGA of Yobe state following alleged vote buying.
Video: Babagana Mohammed
Police arrest armed thugs in Anambra
The Police Command in Anambra state has arrested five armed thugs in Ihiala, Ihiala local government area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police for Election in Anambra state, Aderemi Adeoye told Journalists that four pump actions were recovered from the thugs.
He alleged that a local government official brought in the thugs before they were apprehended and detained.
The Commissioner of Police reiterated that the command had warned that thuggery would not be tolerated as the security agencies will come hard on anyone who violates the electoral act and guidelines issued by INEC for the conduct of the election.
Reporting by Uche Ndeke
Woman attacked for raising ballot paper after voting
A woman has been attacked at a polling unit in Tarauni local government area for raising her ballot paper after voting.
The woman was allegedly approached by party agents soliciting for her vote, where she promised to vote for their party.
Shortly after voting the woman raised the ballot paper for confirmation, which angered others and immediately they attacked her.
However, the quick intervention of security agencies calmed the situation and the woman was whisked away.
Reporting by Khadijah Aliyu
Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.
At Dunama Primary School 058 polling unit, the governorship and state assembly election started at 8:30am, while the first voter at Ungwan Mangu polling unit 032, Mrs. Abigail Anzaku cast her vote at 8:45am.
In an interview with Radio Nigeria, Mrs. Abigail Anzaku commended INEC for improving on the Presidential and National Assembly election.
Reports from Keffi, Karu, Toto and Obi local government areas of Nasarawa state indicates that electoral materials arrived some of the polling units before 8am awaiting eligible voters.
So far, the exercise is going on smoothly and peacefully with less cases of malfunctioning of the BVAS.
Photo: Chris Nyamtu
From Taraba
Election is going in some parts of Taraba State.
Photo: Sani Suleman
Kaduna
INEC officials were on time in most of the polling units visited in Kaduna South and Kaduna North Local Governments.
The process commenced fully in most of the polling units between 8:05 to 8:15am.
In the polling unit 24 where Governor Nasiru El Rufai usually cast his vote, accreditation and election is ongoing simultaneously at exactly 8:40.
Photo: Aminu Dalhatu
9:13am
Voting is in progress at Agulu ward 2 polling unit 023, in Anaocha local government area of Anambra state.
In Kano
Accreditation of voters have commenced in some of the polling units in Kano metropolitan area.
At a polling unit at Kano Munucipal Kankarofi voters were seen on a queue orderly and were being accredited by the officials
At Magawan polling unit in Nasarawa local government area people came out early to exercise their constitutional rights.
Photo: Abdullahi Jalaluddeen
Borno
In Mafa Local government area voting commenced at exactly 8:30 in the morning with large turn of voter in all the polling units visited.
Some of the polling units visited include Chigowa 02, Mai Sharifti 004, Maska Lawanti
Photo: Dauda Iliya
8:50am: In Kwara State
Voting has commenced at Polling Unit 005 Akanbi Ward 4 in Ilorin South local government area of Kwara state.
From Anambra at 8:46am
At Niger drive polling unit, Omata 1 our correspondent reports that INEC officials were on ground and that the BVAS machine was functioning well.
7:40am: In Yobe
INEC dispatched sensitive materials to Sabon Gari Primary School Polling Unit in Potiskum, while accreditation commenced at the polling units at 7:45am.
Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade and Annabel Nwachukwu