Nigeria’s presidential, NASS elections hold today
From 8:30 am, about 87.2 million registered voters will go to the polling units nationwide to elect 18 presidential, 1,300 senatorial and 3,121 House of Representatives candidates.
The voting, according to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, would end by 2:30 pm.
Voting procedure, according to INEC, begins first with the prospective voter confirming his or her name on the voters list already pasted at adjacent polling unit.
There after, the BVA will confirm the voter, the voter’s fore finger will be inked, and be given ballot papers. The voter will then go to the cubicle and thumb print the candidate of his or her choice. The voter can chose to return home or stay back to listen to results.
The commission had distributed sensitive materials to all Central Bank of Nigeria branches in the states.
The commisdion began distribution of the materials on Wednesday and concluded yesterday Friday.
The states, under the watch of security operatives at the various CBN branches received and distributed the materials for onward deliveries to all the 774 local government areas in the country.
INEC officials are scheduled to bring the sensitive materials to the polling units before 8:30am when voting is expected to start baring all forces circumstances.
On Thursday, under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari, all the parties, their leaders, and presidential candidates signed a peace accord brokered by the National Peace Committee headed by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar.
Buhari warned that anyone who tries to snatch ballot boxes will be doing that for the last time as he has given clear instructions to deal ‘ruthlessly ‘ with anyone who might want to cause trouble or obstruct the election.
Six former Presidents in from some West African countries who arrived Nigeria on Friday would lead thousands of both friends and local observers to monitor the polls.
Professor Yakubu has pledged that results of today’s elections would be speedily announced to the public but didn’t give a time frame.
The results of the election would be announced from the International Conference Centre ICC, Abuja.
The military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Customs, Immigration, among others, have deployed more than half a million operatives nationwide to ensure a free, fair and peaceful elections.
After today’s elections of presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives candidates, those of governorship and state House of Assembly will be conducted on March 11.
