Some youths in Bako Village of Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), today, Saturday went on rampage over the missing of 500 ballot papers in their polling unit.
An eyewitness said that after accreditation and voting, the presiding officer of the Dabi polling unit counted the ballot papers and discovered that instead of 3,000 ballot papers, he had 2,500.
”This led to arguments between the presiding officer, party agents and party supporters at the centre, resulting in violence that left two people injured.
”This situation was however, brought under control by security agents attached to the centre”, Jeremiah Isaiah said.
As at the time of this report, the centre was deserted and pockets of youths were seen discussing in hushed tones the possible effect of the violence on the voting in the area.
Also, some voters were seen milling around hopeful that the situation would be resolved soon.
”Just like a dream, the situation escalated into violence. The party supporters believe that the 500 missing ballot papers have been taken to a place where they will be thumb printed in favour of a particular candidate.
”This can lead to outright cancellation of the voting process in Dabi,” a security agent, who pleaded anonymity, said.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Officer in Kwali, Dahiru Abubakar, has confirmed the incident in Dabi Villag, saying that the violence in the centre could affect the election, if the votes cast was more than the number of registered voters.
This was even as the minister of the FCT Minister, Malam Muahammad Musa Bello has commended the residents for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves during the election.
The Minister who monitored the election exercise at the Gwarinpa I District (Life-Camp), Kubwa satellite town and Jiwa Polling Stations lauded the residents for the matured way they queued up to observe their civic responsibility.
Malam Bello therefore urged them to keep the peace as they await the outcome of the exercise; adding that the FCT residents have shown that they are responsibly torchbearers in Nigeria polity.
He also paid tribute to the security agencies in the Territory for the proactive and professional way they have handled the entire exercise from the beginning to the end. [myad]
