Electoral officials give priority to elderly, pregnant women

Elderly persons, pregnant women as well as persons with disabilities are being given special priority to facilitate their accreditation for the Kogi governorship election.

The affected persons were being prioritised by the electoral officials in most of the polling units across the state, according to NAN.

Juliana Nwadike, a corps member on election duty in one of the polling units, said: “elderly men and women, people living with disabilities and pregnant women were being accredited first before other eligible voters to make the process easier for them”.

In Ajaokuta local government area, most of the voters were youths while the turnout of women was low.

Some of the voters there decried the slow process of accreditation by the officials handling the card reader machines.

There was low turnout of voters in Okene and its environs.

Many of the polling units with an average of 500 – 700 voting population in the area only managed to accredit between 50 and 70 voters between 8 am and 9 am.

At Ogaminana, Nagazi and Obangede in Adavi and Okehi local government areas, the process was smooth.

Torres Chrrs, a United States embassy observer, told NAN that the accreditation process was “great and good”.

At Ogori-Magongo local government area, the exercise was also peaceful while voters turned out in large numbers to discharge their civic responsibilities.

Accreditation of voters commenced at about 8:45 am at Idah in Kogi east senatorial district with heavy presence of security personnel in most of the polling stations.

At New GRA ward, unit 001, the presiding officer, Joy Okonkwo, said two card reader machines deployed to the unit were in perfect condition.

At Ofukolo ward unit 006, Ubonnu Kelechi, presiding officer, told NAN that although electoral materials were adequate, the card reader machines were malfunctioning.

Some of the polling units in the area recorded high turnout of voters, with women and youths dominating the process.