Sule, Al-Makura Hail INEC’s New Electoral Process

Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, and the senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial zone, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) BiVAS electoral process in the ongoing general election.

Sule and Al-Makura, who spoke in separate Interviews with journalists on Saturday at the headquarters of Akwanga and Lafia Local Government Areas of the state, both described the Presidential and National Assembly elections as the best ever conducted in the history of the country. 

The governor, who spoke immediately after casting his vote at the Motor Park 002 Polling Unit of his Gudi country home in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state, said the exercise was peaceful. 

According to him, “There has been a lot of aspirations, a lot of expectations and what we have seen in my polling unit of Gudi in Akwanga Local Government Area is very smooth. It took me and my family few minutes to complete our accreditation and voting processes. 

“I want to thank the people of Nasarawa State for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during the election. I also want to thank INEC and the security personnel for the way they carried out the exercise. From what you can see, everything is going on smoothly.”

On his part, Al-Makura, who is seeking re-election to represent his Nasarawa Southern Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, said he was impressed with the painstaking effort INEC had taken to ensure a seamless process.

“It has helped so much in making the exercise very peaceful, simple and transparent. And what impresses me the more is the spirit in which this exercise is executed.

“I believe this election will go down in history as one of the best organised elections. INEC needs to be commended in this exercise. Besides that, the electorate also got substantial sensitisation and enlightenment before the election,” Al-Makura maintained.

Similarly, the Secretary of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in the state, Alhaji Aliyu Bello, who voted at Kofar Alhaji Bello Polling Unit in Lafia, commended the peaceful conduct of the election in the state. 

He, however, added: “The only problem we are facing is that some voters were recently migrated to other polling units and they are finding it difficult to access their new polling units.

“There are also a lot of PVCs that have not been printed and the people are not allowed to cast their votes. This is serious disenfranchisement and we want the authority to take immediate action and address it.”

Bello, therefore, called on INEC to address those issues in order to enable the affected electorate vote in the next election.