Late commencement of voting characterise Gombe council elections

Voting commenced late in most polling units in Saturday’s council polls in Gombe State, reports Correspondents of Newsverge.

Newsverge Correspondents who visited some polling units in Gombe Billiri, Akko, Kaltungo and Shongom Local Government Areas, report that as at 8am, voting had commenced only in some unit in Billiri Local Government Area.

The story was also the same in most units in Kwami, Funakaye, Yamaltu-Deba, Nafada and Balanga Local Government Areas, where voting had not commenced as at 11am.

Mr Steven Dutse,Electoral Officer in charge of Billiri Local Government, one of the few places where voting commenced on schedule, told newsmen that sensitive materials were distributed to polling officers in his area in good time, and that voting commenced 8am.

Effort to reach officials of the State Independent Electoral Commission was futile as they could not be traced and their handsets were switched off.

However, Gombe State Deputy Governor, Mr Charles Iliya, who spoke to newsmen shortly after casting his vote at Kalmai Kofan Sarki polling unit in Billiri town, said it was normal for voting to commence behind schedule.

He commended his people for coming out to cast their votes, appealing to them to be law-abiding citizens.

Newsverge recalled that Mr Kalagar Kudi, commissioner Public Afairs Gombe state Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission, had assured that voting would commence 8am on Saturday in all the 11 Local Government Areas of the state.