Lack of election materials has disenfranchised some electorates from voting in the ongoing by-election, for the Northern Senatorial Zone and Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency of the state.
Some of the voters who voiced their frustration in an interview on Saturday in Jos described the situation as a calculated attempt to manipulate the process.
The Commissioner for Lands and Survey in the state, Mr Peter Gai, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of compromising the process.
According to him, while in some polling units, ballot papers for the senatorial election were complete, those of the House of Representatives election were either short or not brought at all.
‘“This is short of saying INEC has compromised this process; we discovered that in some polling units, the papers for senate were brought, while that of house representatives were not brought at all.
“We demanded for explanation from the polling agents, but they could not give us any satisfactory answer.
”There are polling units that INEC officials didn’t come at all. For example, at polling unit 012 in Kanong community, Jos North Local Government Area (LGA), we didn’t see anybody.
”So, for us, honestly INEC must come clean and ensure that the correct thing is done because a lot of people are denied the right to exercise their democratic rights,”he said.
Similarly, at polling unit 052, Rock Haven community, also in Jos North LGA, residents refused to vote over complete election materials.
The residents who demanded that INEC must provide the complete election materials, refused the electoral official from leaving the unit.
Another voter, Mrs Susan Adamu, said that the poling unit has 1728 registered voters but the INEC officials came with only 100 ballot papers for the house of representative poll.
She also said that officials arrived the polling unit without report sheets and sensible materials.
”We have placed several calls to INEC but no response and this is why we decided they won’t leave here until our materials is complete and we cast our votes,”she said.
But Miss Hannah Anthony, the polling unit agent explained the Electoral Officer (EO) for the LGA had instructed her to go to the polling and commence the election and promised to deliver the remaining materials afterwards.
”When we arrived this place the people insisted that all the materials must be available before voting can commence.
”We have called the EO severally without positive response uptil now,”she said.