Over 900 eligible voters’ in Anguwan Sani Polling Unit (011), Egwa-Gwada Ward in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday chased officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission away from their polling unit, saying only 15 voters do not represent the true figure of the 963 registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards.
The community claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission refused to send voting materials to the unit owing to the fact that it cannot conduct election there because of only 15 voters.
Our Correspondent on Saturday gathered that out of 963 eligible voters with Temporary Voter Cards only 15 got their PVCs.
The Electoral Officer in Shiroro LGA, Isah Idakwo, said the 15 people with PVCs at the unit mattered to the Commission, adding that a vote can make the difference.
According to Idakwo: “We sent our men there but they chased them away and we can’t afford to endanger any of our officials’ life.
“There is no immediate solution to that place for now, but we are trying to see how we can accommodate these people.
“Our challenge now is that we have given the names of the 15 eligible voters to Stakeholders.
“We will find it extremely difficult to reverse the initial number because doing that will be flaunting the electoral law.
“In Niger State, we have 20 polling units with same challenge.
“It is not peculiar to them alone.
“It is not our fault, neither theirs.
“I will advice that the 15 people be allowed to vote because even only one vote can make a difference.”
Idakwo however said it is not a deliberate act, adding: “INEC sent workers there but they were sent back but if they change their minds we will ask our workers to go back there and make sure the 15 people vote.”
Speaking to our correspondent, the Youth Leader of the area, Mohammed Ibrahim Gwada, said: “We are surprised that only 15 PVCs were gotten from the second highest polling unit in Egwa-Gwada ward.
“When we came out this morning, we were surprised because there were no materials for us to exercise our rights.
“We do not know why elections still won’t hold here.
“When I asked the Supervising Officer this morning why there are no materials, he said the ratio of the people that got PVCs is less and that INEC cannot disenfranchise the remaining 948 eligible voters in the unit.
“We feel so bad now because we have been disenfranchised by INEC.
“We are not happy about it.
“We in Egwa-Gwada ward have the highest voters in Niger State.
“Kwakwa unit has the highest number of voters with 1,324.”
At the Rest House Polling Units in Egwa-Gwada Ward of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, accreditation started exactly 8:30am as Voters trooped out en masse.
Expressing dismay over the development, the Head of Angwa Sani community, said: “INEC deceived us.
“They promised and assured us that they will bring our PVCs before election date but they have succeeded in disenfrachising us.”
He however said that the community will lead a protest to INEC office so that the Commission can tell them the next plan it has for the people of the Unit.
