By Blessing Odega
The populace of Tse, Bum, and Fongroi wards in Ganawari community in Riyom Local Government Area, in Plateau, have decried their disenfranchisement during the October 9 local government elections.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chairperson of Ganawuri, Rev. Samuel Mangai, on Friday in Jos, decried the gross disenfranchisement.
Mangai said that the electoral officials from the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) arrived late at the various polling units in the three wards and came with grossly inadequate ballot papers.
According to him, the agents of the various political parties and the youths peacefully requested that the complete ballot papers be brought to enable the electorate to cast their votes.
He, however, said that the electoral officials didn’t go back to get the complete ballot papers.
“In my ward, we are about 1,400 registered voters, but the officials came with only 400 ballot papers.
“Another polling unit with 400 registered voters, the officials came with only 50 ballot papers.
“We asked the officials to go back to get the complete ballot papers, but they didn’t, and as such, the elections didn’t hold and we weren’t able to vote,” he said.
He appealed to the electoral umpire to investigate the shortage of materials in the community and call for a re-election in the community.
Similarly, Mr Luka Nkwon said that the ballot papers brought to the polling units were grossly inadequate, and as such, the elections weren’t conducted.
Nkwon called on the government to help conduct a reelection to enable the people in the community to exercise their franchise.
Mrs Paulina Bala said that in Fongroi, the electoral officials came with ballot papers that weren’t adequate.
PLASiEC has already announced the results of the Riyom Local Government Area.
