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Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Some political thugs have reportedly disrupted voting in Tse Akough polling unit (PU) 012, Yaav ward in Kwande local Government area of Benue State.
Daily Sun gathered that the thugs who stormed the polling unit commando style reportedly smashed ballot boxes to pieces and made away with other election materials, including the poling unit register.
The thugs, it was also gathered, assaulted some agents of the opposition party at the polling unit, causing eligible voters to flee.
Angry youths in the area were said to have pursued the thugs and were able to recover some of the election materials, but the polling unit register was still missing at the time of this report.
It was also gathered that election materials for Azebdeshi council Ward of Ukum Local Government area was allegedly burnt by some political thugs.
In Konshisha Local Government area, ten empty ballot boxes mysteriously disappeared from the collation center early hours of Saturday and had to be replaced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before voting could start at about 10am.
Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Kwara State, Garba Madami, who was in the state alongside his Niger counterpart to assist the Benue REC , Nentawe Yilwatda, told newsmen in Konshisha that INEC had put measures in place to ensure that peoples votes count.
Madami who identified late arrival of polling staff in Konshisha, however, noted that the election was going on smoothly with no problem with the card readers even as he assured that in the rerun election, peoples votes would count and the entire election would be credible.
It was observed that despite reduced vehicular and human movement in all parts of the state, vehicles and people moved around with caution just as some shops were also open for business.
However, all markets in the state, especially in Makurdi metropolis, were under lock. In most polling units across the state, voting was observed going on smoothly at the time of filling this report.
There is also heavy security presence across the state, a development which has allegedly caused voter apathy in some areas.
INEC had announced that the Benue Supplementary election would hold in 204 polling units in 22 out of the 23 local government areas of the state today.
