*Voters apathy mars election 

Security agencies in Kwara State yesterday ignored a letter from the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, where he complained candidates presented by his faction were not endorsed for the poll.

The election went on as scheduled, although turn out by voters was low across the state.

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed belongs to the Kawu Baraje-led faction of the PDP.

Tukur had asked the security agencies, especially the police, not to provide security for the poll or recognise the candidates of the New PDP because, as he claimed, they did not emerge from proper primaries.

Baraje, who is a Kwaran, was in Ilorin to participate in the voting exercise.

He mocked Tukur on the letters, saying: “I can see security men here and there. They are very much around. I was coming from GRA to my family house here. They stopped me in about three or four places and they are security operatives doing their job.

“I slept very late yesterday (Friday) putting finishing touches to the election with other stakeholders and our leader, Bukola Saraki.

“The party did not tell us they received any letter, the security did not tell us they received any letter. Let me quickly point out again that we were here about two months ago to prepare for this election and to receive officials from the national secretariat of the PDP whom we have written to, to send in its team to come and screen these candidates for today. And they’ve screened them. There are correspondences. These correspondences are available in the secretariat of PDP, Kwara State.”

He told reporters that the solution to the crisis in the PDP would come “once there is stoppage to impunity, lawlessness, disorderliness and the whims and caprices being perpetrated by the present leadership, the so-called leadership of Bamanga Tukur.”

He said five more PDP governors would soon swell the ranks of the present seven governors.

He spoke shortly after casting his vote in his Moggaji Ngeri polling unit at the council election.

The election itself was marred by a low turnout of voters across 15 local government areas of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that only a few voters were sighted at the numerous polling units in Ilorin metropolis.

Only the ruling PDP, the Labour Party (LP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) contested the election.

While some of the residents attributed the development to the scanty information on candidates vying for the various offices, others blamed it on apathy.

Polling units which recorded a sizeable number of voters were those located in the wards of political appointees and leaders of parties contesting in the poll.

Many of such voters were sighted in company of party leaders who turned out to cast their votes while the restriction on vehicular movement was not strictly enforced.

Commercial motor cycle operators were also sighted going about their normal businesses while some artisans opened their shops for business.

At Pake polling unit in Ilorin East Local Government, there were only a few voters as at 8.00 am when accreditation and voting commenced.

The Assistant Electoral Officer in Ilorin East Local Government, Mr. Muritala Ayilara, said that election materials had been distributed to the various wards.

In Kosubosu, headquarter of Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara, many residents opted to go to their farms rather than participate in the local government election.

Despite the restriction of vehicular movement during the election by the state government, residents were sighted going about their normal businesses.

Many shops were also opened for business in most communities in the border area.

Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, a resident of Gure , told NAN that residents preferred to go to their farms because the poll was perceived as “a one party affair.”

“There is no opposition in the election, so why should people waste their time.

The APC opted out of the poll because “a matter challenging the validity, legality and the constitutionality of the proposed election is subjudice and pending before the court for determination.”

Its suit to stop the conduct of the poll was dismissed on Friday by a Kwara State High Court, Ilorin.