Massive Turn Out, As Idp In Borno Defies Security Chanllenges

As early as 6:00 on Saturday voters more especially the Internally Displaced Persons trooped to their camps

polling Units to cast their votes, those living with friends and relations within the metropolis started trooping out

to the various camps on Friday to pass the night in the camps as vehicular movement were restricted and their houses are far from the camps.

Our correspondent observe that since the 1999 elections,

voters have not been enthusiastic as the 2015 general

elections, because people trekked as far as 20 to 30

kilometres to locate the polling centres within the camps to cast their votes.

At some of the polling units visited people were seen in the queue while accreditation was going on, an IDP from Bama, Alhaji AJi Bukar said they were enthusiastic to cast their votes in order to bring change, as they have suffered a lot under the present administration.

He said nothing will deter him from voting, despite the

Boko Haram crisis which forced them to flee from their

towns and villages.
At the Gwoza IDP Camp, people were seen being
accredited in their hundreds and were seen patiently waiting on the queue, while the accreditation was going on smoothly.

Our correspondent also came across the Emir of Gwoza,

Mahammdu Ibn Shehu Idris Timta after his accreditation, waiting patiently for the voting to commence, so that he will cast his vote.

The Emir also used the opportunity to call on his subjects to conduct themselves peacefully during and after the

elections, adding that he went round all the IDP camps where his people are camped and he was impressed with the way the exercise was going on.

An INEC official at the Bukar Bulamari polling unit of

Hausari Gadamayo unit of Gwoza local government area

said so far they have not encountered any problem, as accreditation started on time and was going on peacefully.

Our correspondent also came across some IDPs at the

camp complaining that they had not received their PVC because they did their registration during the recent continuous voters exercise, where they were given the temporary voter cards but were yet to be given their PVCs, as at the time of accreditation.

One Bulama Ali said himself and other persons have not received their PVC and according to him, they may likely be disenfranchised, adding that as at about 10:40am no INEC official was available to give them their PVCs, even though accreditation started as early as 8:00am.

Meanwhile, the Borno state Governor, Hon. Kashim Shettima was accredited at Shettimari 1 polling Unit of Lamusula Jabarmari ward of the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.

Shettima who patiently waited for his accreditation, was

accredited at exactly 10:37 am,before he moved to his family house and waited for the voting proper to commence.