Voting in the rerun election in Lavun constituency for the State House of Assembly has ended and voting has begun to trickle in.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC acting head of the Niger State headquarters Francis Ibik, has assured that the final results would be announced today Saturday, as soon as they are collated without hitches.
The election which was expected to begin at 8 am did not begin until 1130 am in most of the polling units following a protest by youths in the Patagi ward, one of the largest wards in the Lavun Local Governmebt Area.
According to some of the youths who spoke in Hausa, the contention was about allowing persons who had been accredited to vote while others who had not been accredited should not vote.
It took the intervention of the security operatives who took several hours to bring calm to bear at the voting centre. Voting did not commence until nearly 12 pm.
Meanwhile, INEC officials on election duties reported at their various wards before 720 to begin preparations for the commencement of voting by 8 am.
The voting commenced and was hitch free and the 18500 accredited voters maintained orderliness and by 4pm voting was concluded in most of the polling units while vote counting commenced immediately.
The results have continued to trickle in as security operatives and independent observers kept a watchful eyes on the activities to ensure that the outcome of the result was credible and fair to all the parties.
The state administrative secretary of INEC, Mohammad Mashi, who had granted an interview to newsmen on the eve of the election had assured that the election would be transparent free, fair and credible.
“The rerun election came about as a result of the violence in some polling units in the 2023 State House of Assembly election. With respect to preparation, I am happy to tell you that we are fully prepared. We are ready to cover the 32 polling units that the voting will be conducted. Everything is taking shape. All the election materials sensitive and none sensitive are here with us.
“I am absolutely comfortable with the level of security the provision of security is simply super. I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to have a very very secure atmosphere where elections are going to hold. We are going to have a free, fair credible and clean elections. I don’t anticipate any form of issues during the election.
“We have made all the plans that we should. Niger is a peaceful State and I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to have a peaceful election. But then, we are human, things might just pop up. My appeal is that let us give peace a chance. Let us go and have a very, very good election. As a moslem I believe that the winner has already been predetermined by God but, by and large, whoever emerges will be congratulated by whoever emerges the loser,” he said.
So Far, Jima Ward Lavun LGA list of Polling Units that have arrived are; Langbata Open Space, Emi- Tsadu, Yafu Kpachitagi. INEC is still expecting the report from Kudogi. Idik said, “We are expecting the results today hopefully if all the wards return without problem”
