Elderly voters share experiences at Alimosho polling units
By Kemi Akintokun
A 78-year-old woman, Mrs Atinuke Ayoola, said she insisted on coming out to vote in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in spite of fears by her children based overseas that there could be violence.
Ayoola spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Ward 4, Polling Unit 073, at Yusuf Olatunji/Banjo Street, Egbe/Agodo, in Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State. while complaining of late arrival of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials at the polling unit.
“My children abroad begged me not to come out to vote because of fear of violence but I insisted that I will come out to vote for my preferred candidate.
“I’m a bit disappointed that the INEC officials are late for the exercise,” she said.
She said she would have stayed back home for some few hours before coming to vote.
A NAN correspondent in the area reports that as at 11.30a.m., accreditation and voting had yet to begin in her polling unit as well as several others in the Ward, including PU O6 at OlojolHolmes street junction Egbe/ Agodo, PU 06 Market Zone Egbe/Agodo, PU 065, Holmes street, Egbe /Idimi, PU 065 at Olabisi Street Ikotun /Ijegun and PU 10 Akin Coker Junction, Egbe Agodo.
She was among some other elderly people who spoke with NAN complaining of the delay in kick-off of the exercise in their area.
Seventy-year-old Mr Abiodun Adeleye, a retired civil servant, told NAN at PU 06. Market Zone that he had been sitting under the sun since 8:30 am for his accreditation and voting exercise.
Adeleye said:” Myself and some elderly people have been sitting under the sun since 8:30 am to exercise our civic right but the INEC officials arrived late and they are yet to start anything.”
In the same vein, 65-year-old Mr Anthony Okeya, a businessman, expressed his displeasure about the situation at PU 065, on Olabisi Street.
“As you can see, we are under the sun still waiting for INEC officials who arrived late to set up their electoral materials so that accreditation and voting can commence.
“I hope this is not a move or tactics to disenfranchise voters from voting,” he said. (NAN)
Edited by Oluwole Sogunle
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