TWO people were feared dead in the re-run governorship election in Adamawa State following attempts by suspected political thugs to snatch ballot boxes in Michika, home to former governor of the state, Mr. Boni Haruna and former Lagos State military administrator, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa.
But Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Uba Ringim, at the state police command put the casualty figure at one and said another person sustained critical injury.
He said that the cause of the fracas was yet to be ascertained – whether it was a fight between political party supporters or other reasons, which police investigation would reveal.
Ringim said the identity of the person killed was also yet to be ascertained.
Eye-witness account indicated that a notable politician from that part of the state hired thugs from Gombe State to perpetrate the act, adding that the thugs harassed a lot of electorate from areas they suspected might not vote for their party.
The source said in the attempt to snatch the ballot boxes, police fired the shots that killed two of them and another which he clamed to be the personal assistant of the politician sustained injury.
The police authority could also not confirm whether the dead person was felled by police bullet, but said the matter would be investigated.
Ringim confirmed that 16 people were arrested in Michika while three arrests were made in Yola, stressing that the election was generally peaceful in most local governments except for skirmishes in few areas.
“Honestly speaking, this is a peaceful election,” he told The Guardian. It is only in Michika that we had few skirmishes though there were few complaints that were handled by the electoral officers.”
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar cast his vote at 11.15am at Ajiya polling booth in Yola North. The Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Ibrabim Bapetel, accompanied him.
After exercising his franchise, Atiku told journalists that he was satisfied with the preparations of the INEC and the way the electoral materials were distributed.
But he said he could not speak on whether the election was properly handled until it was concluded.
According to him: “I have visited only one polling booth and that is where I cast my vote. So, I cannot talk of what happened in other polling centres until after we got reports of what happened in those places.
“Up till Friday, I was satisfied with the way they distributed the materials.”
He said INEC has capable hands to conduct free and fair elections in the country, but that the commission needed sincerity of purpose and integrity to do that.
Bapetel, who voted at his Yelwa ward in Jimeta at about 11.18am, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election and the security arrangement.
He was also in high spirit and indicated confidence in the entire process.
And for the PDP candidate, Murtala Nyako, who cast his vote at the Hammanyero polling unit in Mayo-Belwa local government area of the state at about 10.35am, the turn-out of voters, the conduct of the polls and the security arrangement were adequate.
Nyako, whose election was nullified based on the petition filed by Bapetel, was optimistic that he would win the election because “power belongs to God and the people.”
The election was generally peaceful in most of the local governments, including Girei, Gombi, Song, Ganye, Fufore, Demsa, Mubi, Shelleng, Yola, Jimeta and Belwa. There was a large turn out of voters in the straight battle between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and AC.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission started distribution of voting materials early. However, the distribution was delayed in some areas while there was a shortfall in others.
Voting did not end on time in some polling points where materials arrived late. INEC officials blamed the late arrival on logistics.
Security was heavy in all the voting centres where the state police command had drafted adequate policemen to take charge.
Voters started trooping out as early as 8am in Yola, Gombi, Lamurde and Girei local government areas where leaders of political parties were on ground to monitor the exercise.
Most of the politicians commended INEC and the police for adequate preparations. But Alhaji Youssof Ahmad, PDP leader in Lamurde, frowned at the activities of some politicians, who were accused of thuggery.
Suspected political thugs, who attempted to disrupt the election in Guyuk, were dispersed by armed policemen whose timely arrival at a voting centre in the area helped in preventing what would have led to a major fracas between supporters of the two leading political parties.
Party leaders also intervened by calming down their supporters and urged them to be peaceful and orderly.
Alhaji Mamman Sanni of the Action Congress in Jada local government expressed the hope that his party would sweep the polls in the area because “it has worked very hard to mobilise its supporters for the exercise.”
Besides, he said that the AC candidate, Ibrahim Bapetel, “is very popular and more accepted in the area.”