In several polling places in Aleyita in Kabusa ward, Abuja Area Council of the FCT, voting in the ongoing presidential and national assembly elections has been halted due to an INEC stamp shortage.
Voting had not yet started when reporters arrived at polling place 107 at the Aleyita Health Centre.
Because they had not arrived at the unit with an INEC stamp to certify the ballot papers, the Presiding Officer, Caleb Yashim, informed the newsmen that they could not begin the voting process.
Yashim stated that getting the stamp was a priority and that it contributed to their delayed arrival at the voting location.
Generally, as against the 8:30 a.m. stipulated by INEC, the election commenced at noon in most of the polling units in Chika and Aleyita areas of Kabusa ward.
Newsmen had earlier reported the absence of officials at the polling units.
However, election officials arrived between 10:50 and 11.30 a.m. in the various units.
The Assistant Presiding Officer in Chika Primary School Polling Unit, Mr. Bukar Saje, attributed the late arrival to logistics and the inability to easily locate the polling unit.
Saje, while addressing the voters urged them to maintain orderliness, saying the election officials would take into consideration their time of arrival in determining the closing time of voting.
He also sensitized them on the use of BVAs and assured them of the smooth process.
In Aleyita polling unit, election officials arrived at about 11:30 a.m. and were still setting up at the time of filing this report.
There is an impressive turnout of voters in all the polling units visited, who were getting agitated about the delay in the commencement of the exercise.
A voter, Mr. Dominic Fater, said he came to the polling unit as early as 7.30 a.m. only for INEC officials to show up at noon.
Fater said he was disappointed that the election officials had to come to the unit without a stamp.
He called on INEC to ensure that they were not disenfranchised.
