Voter apathy mars Bauchi LG poll

The Bauchi state local government election has recorded low voter turnout as voters shun polling units.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), elections did not start in most of the polling units as at 12:00 pm.

Residents in the area were seen going about their normal businesses in spite of a work-free-day declared by the state government to enable the electorate to participate in the election.

At some of the polling centres visited in Dawaki, Tirwun,  Kofar Ran and Yelwa areas of Bauchi there were no voters and election officials in spite of deployment of security personnel. 

Mr Ali Sidi, a voter, said that he went to his polling unit as early as 8:00 am, but there was no presence of election officials.

Sidi attributed the apathy to the delays in the early commencement of the exercise. 

Another voter, Farouq Yakubu, said that he cast his vote at about 1:30 pm at a polling unit in the Tirwun area of the metropolis. 

He said that many voters left the polling centres following the late arrival of election officials.

However, high voter turnout was recorded at polling units in the Yalwan Duguri area of Alkaleri LGA.

A high number of voters trooped to the polling units to exercise their franchise, while election officials reported to the centres as early as 8:40 am.

Accreditation and voting started early at 008 Bakin Dutse, Dan Kungibar ward, as voters waited in the queue while security personnel maintained order.

Mustapha Diko, an election official, said the exercise was being conducted without hitches.

Some of the voters, Musa Mohammed and Hanatu Suleiman, expressed the hope that the exercise would be peaceful.

Gov. Bala Mohammed, who cast his vote in the election, commended the peaceful conduct of the exercise. 

He urged those who would emerge winners from the election to govern with the fear of God, for sustainable social and economic development at the grassroots. 

Some of the opposition parties had boycotted the election alleging that the exercise contravened the 2026 Bauchi State Electoral Act.

The parties included the African Democratic Congress (ADC), African Action Congress (AAC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).