By Idris Abdulrahman
#TrackNigeria: Abuja residents, especially in the Central Area and some suburbs, anxious to cast their votes on Saturday, thronged the polling centres in large numbers even before the arrival of relevant personnel such
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited the areas reported that many voters turned up the various polling units as early as 4.30 a.m. to beat an anticipated crowd.
Many of them formed queues, with appointed volunteers who gave out tally numbers to voters as they came to avoid confusion in the course of voting.
Security agents such as the police, NSCDC, FRSC and VIO personnel who later appeared at the centres, found the situation calm.
Some of the early comers at the Post Office Polling Unit, near UTC Market, Abdullahi Salami, said “ I had to leave home early to cast my vote in good time and return home to rest”.
A Daura-based journalist, Lawal Ado, said he travelled from Katsina State the previous day to vote in Abuja because INEC officials could not transper his voting base to Daura after many efforts.
“In spite of all my efforts and early arrival at this polling unit, my tally number is 147 on the queue”.
In Mararaba, an Abuja sub-urb, long queues of voters were observed at polling centres hours before polls opened.
Vehicular traffic movement was free on the major roads in the central area in spite of heavy presence of security agents, contrary to instructions on restriction of movement from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.(NAN)
