Voters hold INEC officials hostage in Jos

By Yusufu Aminu Idegu Voting in some polling unit in Jos North local government was marred with protest over inadequate ballot papers.  In one of the polling units in Salama Junction Polling Unit of Kabong Ward, voters stopped when they realized there were only 100 ballots papers for house of representative and 1000 ballot papers […]

By Yusufu Aminu Idegu

Voting in some polling unit in Jos North local government was marred with protest over inadequate ballot papers. 

In one of the polling units in Salama Junction Polling Unit of Kabong Ward, voters stopped when they realized there were only 100 ballots papers for house of representative and 1000 ballot papers for Senate.

Similarly, in polling unit 015 inside GSS Chwelnyap in Jos north Local Government Area had ballot papers for House of Reps only but none for senate as of 1:30pm.

Voters in cue simply withdrew in protest, saying the shortage in the supply of adequate ballot papers was a deliberate action by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to compromise the election.

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The voters were unanimously saying, we will not resume voting until the ballot papers are complete.

The issue of inadequate ballot papers took more strange dimension at polling unit 052 in Rock haven, Jos North LGA. Voters held the election officials hostage.

“You are not leaving here until you provide the ballot papers or give us satisfactory reason for the shortage of ballot papers.”

“In this polling unit, we have 1,276 registered voters, and INEC brought 100 ballot papers. Are we saying INEC did not know the number of voters in this unit? We are not going to accept any excuse for this. It is deliberate by INEC to disenfranchise us.”

Similar challenge of inadequate ballot papers was recorded in Tudun Wada/Kabong ward where INEC officials presented only 100 ballot paper for house of representatives election in a polling unit with 1,720 registered voters.

They insisted voting will not commence until the ballot papers were complete.

As at the time of filling this report, INEC had not been able to address the areas of concerns of voters, and INEC officials mostly corp members were still held hostage.

All efforts to reach the INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, drafted to Jos for the rerun failed as his line was unreachable.