INEC delays voting at Osinbajo, Babajide Sanwo-Olu ‘s polling units

Also, the same situation was observed at the Femi Okunnu Polling Unit, Ward 9, where the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was scheduled to vote. A correspondent of the Newsmen who monitored the situation at the polling unit of Vice –President Osinbajo ’s observed that the ad-hoc officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were yet to arrive there by 9.05 a.m. However, the residents of VGC led by their Chairman, Mr Adetokunbo Ladega, were seen making arrangements toward registering the few voters who had turned out to exercise their civic responsibilities. Newsmen reports that voting did not start at the same polling unit during the Feb. 23 Presidential and National Assembly Elections until about 9.45a.m. Osinbajo, who arrived at the unit at 10:28 a.m. on Feb.23 voted at 10:53 a.m., while the Presidential Candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Mr Fela Durotoye, also voted at the same polling unit by 12.11p.m. Meanwhile, at Ward E, Eti-Osa Local Government Area, INEC ad-hoc staff and electoral materials were already on the ground in most of the polling units at about 8.05a.m. Also, some voters who turned out for the election were seen waiting for voting and accreditation to begin. Also, there was a delay in the commencement of voting during the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly in some parts of Ikoyi. Newsmen also observed that at Femi Okunnu polling unit, Ward 9, where the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, that was scheduled to vote, voting had not started at 8:15 a.m., while filling this report. Newsmen were told that election materials and officials were at the unit as early as 7.35a.m., but INEC officials could not accredit intending voters due to the non-availability of the INEC stamps. One of the polling officers told Newsmen that the voting would commence as soon as they received INEC stamp to authenticate the ballot papers. Similarly, Newsmen observed that voting had not started at polling units 004 and 005, Ward 9 because the INEC officials had not received the INEC stamp as at the time of filing this report. Intending voters were, however, on the queue waiting for voting to commence. One of them, Mr Victor Oso, told Newsmen that they started arriving the polling centres since 7.25a.m. “We have been here since morning but voting hasn’t started because of the inability of the INEC stamp. “ You can see that some of the voters are sleeping already but we will be patient till the voting starts,” he said. However, voting had commenced at Polling Unit 006, Ward 9 as at when Newsmen got there and the intending voters were orderly. Also, some of the European Union election observers were around the polling unit and were observing the conduct of the intending voters and INEC officials. (NAN)]]>