Low Turn out Mars Council Elections in Adamawa

By Daji Sani in Yola

Low turn out of electorate  marred  the local government polls in Adamawa State held on Saturday and yesterday to elect chairmen and councillors for the 21 local government areas for the 226 wards.

THISDAY observed that in most of the local governments, except the state capital, Yola North and Yola South, the turn out was below 20 per cent recorded at the polling stations and in some local government areas, election was held in the night due to the late arrival of electoral materials.

Also, in most cases, elections were not held as prospective voters waited endlessly for election officials, who did not turn-up, while in some places the elections were said to have been concluded Sunday.

When THISDAY monitored the election in the northern senatorial zone  ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents, the situation was not different from other parts of the state.

The military were in full control of the situation in the zone to prevent any possible attack by the insurgents, even as the elections were conducted under peaceful atmosphere.

Mallam Umar Sanda, a resident of Nassarawo, described the election as the most peaceful and transparent the state has ever had, adding that there were less or no news of violence and crisis in all the 21 local government areas of the state.

He said: “Nigerian are becoming informed by the day and have not allowed greedy politicians to use them to cause crisis especially the youths during elections.”

The results of the elections are being awaited.

However in Numan, unconfirmed reports coming from that area revealed two people were killed by locals of the area as a result of clashes between two rival political groups.

However, every attempt made to speak to the authorities concerned or the police regarding the killing at the time of sending this report proved abortive.