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Polls: Saraki blames low turnout of voters on militarisation of exercise

 

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has condemned the militarisation of the Saturday’s governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections in Kwara state.
Saraki while speaking with newsmen after casting his vote alongside his wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, at Ode Opobiyi polling unit 005, Ajikobi ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state blamed the low turnout of voters on the heavy deployment of military and other security operatives for the exercise.
He, however commended the voters for their orderliness and peaceful conduct during the exercise.
It could be recalled that the military and other security operatives had since Thursday engaged in show of force around strategic locations in Ilorin metropolis.
There was also the deployment of military jet to the state capital.
The Senate President, however, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to strictly use the card readers for the exercise.
A former Minister of National Planning, Professor Abubakar Suleiman Olanrewaju, also joined Saraki in condemning the militarisation of the exercise in the state.
Suleiman, while briefing journalists after casting his vote at Ode Opobiyi 005 polling unit, in Ilorin West Local Government, described the process as undemocratic, pointing out that the military are driving away voters.
Suleiman who is the Director General of the 2019 PDP Mandate Campaign Organisation in Kwara State, said this is not what Nigerians are yearning for, saying that any government that engage in such act would not last.
On the issue of card readers, Suleiman noted that there are still reports of malfunctioning of card readers in some of the polling units, urging the electoral umpire to ensure that the machines work perfectly.
Meanwhile, a twitter user, Somto Onuchukwu with handle @chosensomto has also decried the militarisation of the election, which he said culminated in the low turnout of voters.
He also alleged that the votes of the electorate did not count as there was widespread electoral malpractice.
He wrote:”The low turnout of voters today, shows that Buhari’s presidential selection has ruined our democracy. Nobody is interested in getting beat down by soldiers of @HQNigerianArmy; nobody is defending votes at PU, because results are written at collation centres.

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