Nigeria: Tension, Fear Grip Voters Ahead of Polls

Leadership (Abuja)

Achor Abimaje, Samuel Aruwan, Ahmed Tukur And Osa Okhomina

1 April 2011

Jos/Kaduna/ Lafia/Yenagoa — All is now set for the National Assembly election fixed for tomorrow, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) expressing fear over inadequate security arrangement.

Also, LEADERSHIP investigations across the country last night revealed that tension and fear have enveloped all states in what political monitors described as “last-minute desperate political moves to undo one another”.

Reports from our correspondents across the country indicate that most voters have vowed to protect their votes against election riggers by “any means necessary”.

In Abuja, FCT minister Bala Mohammed yesterday held a security meeting with all the stakeholders in the election, advising them to do everything within their power to maintain law and order. He called on residents to shun any act of violence.

Speaking to Islamic clerics who visited him in his office, Mohammed urged them to preach unity and de-emphasise things that divide the nation.

The candidates for tomorrow’s elections were seen last night engaging in last-minute campaigns.

The city of Jos, the Plateau State capital, was a beehive of activities for political parties and their candidates yesterday. They were seen moving in large convoys, with loudspeakers blaring songs frm one street to another.

As part of the effort to ensure that all the citizens of the state participate in the National Assembly election, the state governor, Da Jonah Jang, has declared today as a work-free day, to enable civil servants travel to places where they were registered, and vote for their choice candidates in the election.

LEADERSHIP gathered that about seven political parties in the state are participating in the National Assembly election. They are ANPP, PDP, CPC, ACN, LP, DPP and APGA.

Speaking on the level of preparedness of the Labour Party in Plateau State, the publicity secretary of the party, Sylvanus Namang, told LEADERSHIP that the party had uncovered a plot by a particular political party to rig, cause confusion and out-manoeuvre other political parties during Saturday’s National Assembly election in the state.

According to him, among these dubious plans is to collaborate with INEC staff or electoral officers to starve strongholds of the Labour Party of election materials in some selected local government areas.

Namang further noted that the LGAs include Jos North, Bokkos, Kanam, Wase, Mangu and Shendam respectively.

He said: “We are aware of this desperate political party; where defeat is glaringly staring it on the face, it has perfected plans to over-vote in polling units where the Labour Party is seen to be strong so that the results in such polling units would be cancelled in line with the electoral guideline, thereby giving them an overall advantage at the end of the day.”

In Kaduna State, armed soldiers have started patrolling major streets of Kaduna metropolis. LEADERSHIP also saw about 15 new patrol vans adorned in the Nigerian Army traditional green color being driven to different Nigerian Army formations in the state and its environs.

The Kaduna State Police Command has stated that it was mobilizing about 10,000 policemen and women to provide security in the course of the election and after. The commissioner of police, Bala Magaji Nassarawa, who disclosed this in Kaduna, said that a minimum of two armed security men would be deployed to each polling unit in the state. The police boss, who assured of adequate security, further said that the police high command had made available its men towards combating any threat to peaceful polls.

At the headquarters of INEC in the state, LEADERSHIP could not reach the resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Haliru Aliyu Tambuwal, but saw INEC staff putting finishing touches ahead of tomorrow.

Political parties and their candidates, have all resorted to door-to-door campaigns since the campaign duration as stipulated by the Electoral Act 2010 had elapsed.

Analysts of Kaduna politics have at different times said that the National Assembly polls would be a big fight for both candidates and the parties as well.

In the Kaduna Central senatorial election will feature PDP candidate and former executive secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Yusuf Hamisu Abubakar (aka Mairago), and Congress for Progressive Change’s General Mohammed Saleh, and Action Congress of Nigeria’s Mohammed Sani Ibrahim, who is the incumbent member representing Kaduna North in the House of Representatives.

In the Kaduna North senatorial district, former governor and incumbent senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi will slug it out with two strong candidates of the CPC and ACN: Hon. Datti Yusuf Baba-Ahmed and Mohammed Salihu Lukman respectively.

The Kaduna South senatorial contest will be between former minister of finance Mrs Nenadi Esther Usman, who defeated the incumbent and ACN’s candidate Senator Caleb Zagi in the primary, and CPC’s Mrs.Deborah Iliya.

On the whole, it is said that the fight for the soul of both Kaduna Central and North will be between PDP and the CPC, owing to General Muhammadu Buhari’s influence, while in Southern Kaduna, it will be a fight between the traditional PDP and the ACN owing to the defection of the incumbent senator to the party, while there is a likelihood of CPC gaining ground in a few areas.

In Nasarawa State, supporters of various political groups yesterday engaged in a free for all, destroying the billboards and posters of different candidates.

LEADERSHIP learnt that unidentified youths believed to be supporters of both PDP and CPC are said to be going round removing posters and billboards of the opposition.

Eyewitnesses told leadership that tension had enveloped the town of Keffi and its environs because of the fracas between the two groups, while residents were seen worrying over the outcome of the forthcoming senatorial elections in the state.

Most of the posters removed were said to be those of the PDP and CPC candidates in the senatorial district, as well as those of gubernatorial candidates in the state.

In Agaza of Keana local government area of the state, there were also reports of a clash between supporters of PDP gubernatorial candidate Alh Aliyu Akwe Doma and that of CPC Alh. Tanko Almakura because of alleged removal of posters and billboards

The resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Ahmed Makama, said that his office had also completed arrangement for the commencement of the exercise, adding that ballot papers had arrived in the state ready for distribution to various local government areas.

In Bayelsa State, there was noticeable apprehension among voters over a possible showdown in some parts of the state during the state and National Assembly polls. Aside frm the non-conduct of the governorship poll in Bayelsa due to the suit before the Supreme Court, stakeholders in the state have identified Ekeremor, Sagbama and Nembe areas of the state as violent-prone spots.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the contest between the candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the PDP would be tough, as the like of the impeached deputy governor, Peremobowei Ebebi, and the incumbent senator, Heineken Lokpobiri, may have a score to settle at the Bayelsa West senatorial district.

At the Southern Ijaw local government area, there were claims by opposition parties that arms had been stockpiled by some ex-militant leaders to assist the ruling PDP, and that the opposition LP supporters were ready to confront them.

But the Joint Military Task Force and the Nigerian police yesterday declared their readiness to police the waterways and creeks of the Niger Delta region against anticipated cases of violence and electoral fraud during the April polls.

The task force codenamed “Operation Restore Hope” said its presence in the states of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers was active and fortified, it would be on standby to work with other relevant agencies to ensure peaceful elections.

The situation is the same in Calabar as political officeholders have abandoned their offices to solicit votes from the electorate in the 18 local government areas of the state, less than 24 hours to the elections.

Investigations conducted by our correspondent revealed that members of the State Executive Council (SEC) have already left their offices to unknown destinations. Also not found in their offices were members of the state House of Assembly, special assistants, chairmen of councils, councilors and other appointees.

At the offices of the political officeholders, their aides confided in our correspondent that “oga has gone out for campaign; you know Saturday is election and PDP members have to deliver their constituencies”.

AllAfrica – All the Time