Elections update: Gov. Fashola accredited, calls for patience

Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State arrived at Polling Unit 002 at State Grammar School , Surulere at exactly 10.30a.m. and was accredited at 10.45a.m. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that though the governor’s right thumb failed the thumbprint verification, the right one passed. His wife, Abimbola, son, and some of his aides who came with him to the polling unit, were also accredited minutes after. Fashola, on arrival, joined the long queue of voters waiting to be accredited and stayed on it until it was his turn. Speaking with journalists after completing his accreditation, Fashola expressed satisfaction at the process. He said that he did not have problems getting his PVC verified. ” From my experience here, things seem to be heading in the right direction. People are very orderly as you can see and I have not heard any complaints. “I have been here for 16 minutes waiting on the queue and it took only one minute to get my verification and identification done. “The right thumb failed, the left one passed and I think people should be patient with the officials; we should get things right as a country. ” I am hopeful that the process will be a success at the end of the day, ” he said. (NAN) Meanwhile Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on Saturday shed tears of joy as they were reunited with their family members and relations during accreditation at IDP special polling centre, Yola 2015 general polls. The IDPs wept as they reunited with their relations whom they thought were dead when Boko Haram sacked their towns in 2014. The correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the accreditation of electorate in Yola reports that many IDPs were seen in warm embrace with relations and friends. Most of them were from Michika and Madagali Local Government Areas in Adamawa. One of them, Madam Hajara Samuel, seen at the IDPs Special Polling Centre, Aliyu Mustafa College, Yola, told NAN that he was separated from his family five months ago by Boko Haram insurgents. She, however, expressed joy that the exercise had afforded them the opportunity to reunite. Samuel, who was in tears, said that before the insurgency, he and his neighbours used to cast their votes in the same unit in Michika LGA. Alhaji Haruna Manzo, who hails from Bazza in Michika, said that since he and other IDPs fled Michika in 2014, he was seeing his immediate neigbour, Mr Ezekiel Haruna, for the first time. Manzo described Haruna as a closed friend adding they fled for safety when Boko Haram elements took over their village. He, however, expressed joy that he met Haruna again at the polling unit as IDPs in Yola. NAN reports that there was impressive turnout of voters at the IDPs special polling centre. Speaking shortly after being accredited at the Alyu Mustafa Secondary School IDPs polling centres, Alhaji Abubakar Kari, an IDP also from Michika said he was impressed with the electorate’s turnout. Kari, who was the state Chairman, Adamawa Positive Change and Initiative, an NGO, said that almost all eligible voters from his polling unit came out for the exercise. “There is massive turnout of voters. It is very interesting because the electorate are willing to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice”, Kari said. He commended INEC for creating the special polling units for the IDPs and expressed optimism that the exercise would achieve its aims and objectives. Meanwhile, Gov. James Ngilari of Adamawa has commended voters in the state for their large turnout for accreditation ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections. Ngilari was accredited at 10 a.m. at Shishiwa unit 009, in Madagali Local Government Area. He said it was interesting that the citizenry through the impressive turnout had signaled their willingness to choose their own leaders