The elections for chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State, on Saturday, were marred by vote-buying and late arrival of materials.
Voter apathy was also recorded in most of the polling units visited by Sunday PUNCH.
Our correspondent, who went round some local government areas to monitor the elections, observed cases of vote-buying at Unit 015 in Kofar Wakili Garkuwa, Azare, Katagum LGA.
A woman was seen distributing sachets of detergent openly to voters at the polling unit. While some of the voters were given five sachets of detergent each, others received two sachets per head.
The distributor rewarded only those who voted for her party, which our correspondent could not immediately ascertain.
At the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission, Darazo LGA, as of 10am, election materials were still being distributed to the various wards.
The situation was the same at Ganjuwa and Misau LGAs, where some polling units had yet to commence voting because materials had not arrived by 11am.
In Alkaleri LGA, where Governor Bala Mohammed hails from, electoral officers and voters lamented over the late arrival of materials.
When journalists visited the local government election materials distribution centre, it was observed that electoral officers were still collecting ballot papers and boxes as of 10am.
A presiding officer at the Alkaleri Central Primary School Polling Unit, Ukasha Abubakar, said the delay in the commencement of the election was due to the large size of the local government area, adding that it might take a while for electoral materials to reach some units.
He promised that the election would start at the polling station where he is presiding as soon as voters are accredited.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in the Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State has alleged that political thugs belonging to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state hijacked materials for the LG elections across the state on Saturday.
The APC Chairman in Darazo LGA, Adamu Maichibi, who spoke to journalists, said, “I have just come from the police station because there were electoral materials from Wawu and Papa wards that were hijacked in Sade town by political thugs of the PDP who refused to allow the materials to get to their destination.
“What is even more surprising is the fact that among those in the vehicles were security agents. We reported the incident to the divisional police officer that these materials were hijacked for at least 30 minutes in towns that are 20km and 70km from Sade, and we don’t know the reason.
“We have reported to the officer in charge of the distribution of materials at the local government level, but up till now, nothing has been done.”
A PDP chieftain in the LGA, Nasiru Darazo, in response, denied the allegations, saying the state chapter of the party had made proper arrangements for peaceful and transparent elections.
Darazo added that the governor “is a democrat and I want to assure you that anyone who wins the election genuinely will be declared winner, irrespective of his party.”
PUNCH