From Tony John (Port Harcourt), Olanrewaju Lawal (Birnin Kebbi), Billy Graham Abel (Yola), Chijioke Agwu (Abakaliki)

A mixed bag of outcomes, ranging from low turnout to late arrival of electoral officials and materials trailed the supplementary polls conducted yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in various states across the country.

In Rivers State, the turnout for the House of Representatives supplementary election in affected LGAs, particularly Port Harcourt City, was not encouraging. Some of the opposition political parties, like All Progressives Congress (APC), did not participate in the election, over lack of transparency by  the  electoral umpire and intimidation by supporters of the ruling party.

Some of the residents in the Port Harcourt Township told Sunday Sun that they were not aware of the supplementary election.

Many polling units in Port Harcourt Township till midday, had very few voters, even after early arrival of INEC ad hoc staff.

However, the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency and chairman, Host Communities, House of Representatives, Dumnamene Dekor, lauded security agencies for ensuring a hitch-free supplementary election in Khana and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

Dekor, who expressed optimism of being  re-elected, noted that some mischievous individuals, who had planned to disrupt the poll could not carry out their operation due to the commitment of security agencies to ensure a peaceful exercise.

His words: “Let me give thanks to God and also the security agencies who have been able to ensure that everything in place is very  peaceful. All the cult groups, the gangs, invited by some people didn’t have a place to operate.

“I also thank the good people of Sogho  and Baana communities for their show of love. You can see everything was quite peaceful. “

He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for demonstrating  exceptional performance, which was at variance with the February 25 and March 18, 2023,  elections.

“Let me commend INEC. Sometimes, you begin to wonder if INEC is still INEC. I think this Electoral Act has rekindled hope of the people, because this is a fallout of previous elections.

“You would agree with me in Rivers State here, His Excellency and Governor (Nyesom Wike) and Government of Rivers State have been able to do what is necessary for the people to have confidence in her.  And to some extent, that confidence has been expressed in previous elections, even in the first one we did (February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections), by which INEC declared that we were leading by 6,000 votes.

“I strongly believe that by the grace of God, today, the will of the people will prevail.

He debunked the allegation of vote-buying and arrest of some members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He said: “PDP is a political party. It is a family of brothers and sisters. PDP is not a force. It is not a police. Those are very spurious allegations. I would say very clearly that, if you’re a criminal, and you are found to be formenting trouble, you are bound to be arrested.

“I am not aware of any arrest because I am not a police officer. And I have not also been briefed that anyone was arrest. “

Similarly, chairman of Khana LGA, Thomas Bariere, has lauded INEC for fulfilling its promise of conducting a transparent supplementary election in the area, after previous polls were cancelled.

He said: “INEC promised the people of Khana that they are going to conduct a free, fair and credible election. And truth be told, exactly that they have done.

“Recall that previous elections, nothing took place in units four and seven due to some issues that have to do with insecurity and misconduct of some of the electorate. 

“Having rescheduled the election by INEC, and having briefed security operatives properly, all sister security agencies were properly deployed and the process was very smooth.”

Large turnout in Kebbi

There was a large turn out of voters for the gubernatorial, national and state assemblies supplementary elections held in Kebbi State yesterday. Polling units where supplementary elections took place in Birnin Kebbi included Takalau M.P.S II, Takalau M.P.S III, and Marafa Hisbah office.

Accreditation and voting took place simultaneously in line with the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

As earlier as 8:30a.m. election officials arrived with the necessary voting materials. d large numbers of voters.

It could be recalled that INEC had declared that gubernatorial supplementary election would be held in 142 polling units (PUs) across 20 local government areas of Kebbi while supplementary election would also hold in Kebbi North Senatorial District, two federal constituencies and eight state constituencies in the state.

The presiding officer at Marafa polling unit in Birnin Kebbi, Muhammad Bala, told Sunday Sun that when his team arrived at about 8:30a.m. they met voters waiting for them.

“You can see yourself that the turn out is even more impressive than the previous elections. People are eager and willing to fulfill their constitutional responsibility and also complete the process of electing their leaders which they started in the previous elections,” he said.

Bala said there had not been any hitch with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS), and that the voters were behaving orderly.

At Alwasa Model Primary school in Argungu Local Government Area, voters lined up to vote.

INEC officials of INEC arrived at 7: 30a.m at Dankaulu polling unit in Kamba area of Dandi Local Government Area of the state.

While speaking with newsmen, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Festus Okoye said that the commission was ready to conduct supplementary election and put an end to the recurring inconclusive elections in Kebbi State.

In the run up to the exercise, Okoye said the electoral umpire held a stakeholders engagement for political parties and civil society organiations.

“We have explained to them the rudiments of the election and places where the elections will take place. And  they fully observed the sensitivity of these elections and the fact it is a supplementary elections that has been indicated.

“The REC has held series of engagement with security agencies and they have promised that they have the courage, resources to deploy personnel’s to all areas where these supplementary elections will take place. They have also put additional resources from neighbouring states around Kebbi State.

“On our part, the chairman of the Commission has deployed three national commissioners to Kebbi State because of the number of elections we have in the state. Because of this, he deployed additional staff and so most of our staff are going to serve as supervising officers, acting as LG officers.

“We are not going to have supplementary-supplementary elections. We are going to put an end to these elections tomorrow (yesterday) and by Sunday (today), the people of Kebbi  will know who their governor-elect is. We are going to have conclusive election in Kebbi North Senatorial election and conclusion into two Federal Constituency and eight state assembly elections.”

Anxiety as officials, materials arrive late in Numan

The late arrival of electoral officials and the elections materials for the Numan Local Government part of the Adamawa governorship supplementary election caused anxiety among the electorate who has turned out to exercise their franchise.

In Yola, the Adamawa State capital, the supplementary poll started early and voters were orderly and peacefully queued to cast their votes at various polling units amid heavy security presence.

But the story was not the same for Numan communities of Bolki ward where election materials arrived late and voters had to wait until  around 1 pm before electoral materials arrived.

Though voting started very late, there were no violent incidents as at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ordered security operatives to deny journalists access to the collation centre.

This is a fallout from the fact that the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Ari, has been the subject of accusation by the Peoples Democratic Party over leaked audio where he was ordering the Returning Officer of Fufore Local Government Area to alter election results in favour of the APC candidate, Aishatu Dahiru Binani, claiming that he was ordered to do so.

It remains to be seen if his order to bar journalists from the collation centre would stand as results of the supplementary elections are being awaited.

Exercise peaceful in Ebonyi – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission( INEC) in Ebonyi State yesterday described the supplementary elections that took place in some polling units in 7 local governments areas across the state as peaceful.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mrs Onyeka Ugochi, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Abakaliki.

She said she moved around many of the polling units and was pleased with the smooth and orderly manner the elections went.

“So far, it has been smooth and peaceful. And the security agencies are doing well to ensure adequate peace in all the polling units.”

The INEC Presiding Officer at Igweorie open space Polling Unit  001 at Azugwu Azumini ward, Mr Ewogu Micheal said the turnout of voters was quite imperative.

“As you can see, large number of voters have been accredited and have voted as well, we are still waiting for those who are still coming so that as soon as the voting time elapses, we shall start sorting and counting,“ Ewogu said.

On his part, the House of Assembly candidate for Abakaliki North State constituency, Mr Maxwell Umahi, commended voters for coming out to vote. He expressed confidence of wining the election.

He also commended INEC and the security agencies for good work done so far, and  urged them to keep it up.