news update - Voters defy rain in Lagos

   Lagos State resi­dents yesterday defied a heavy rain­fall, and trooped out en masse to cast their votes as they took shelter under umbrellas.
As early as 7am, they trooped out to vote for presi­dential candidates of their choice. Although the conduct was generally peaceful, an unconfirmed report said that suspected party thugs killed one person in Agege area.

At polling unit EC 30A, Alausa Ikeja where former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu voted, the turnout was impressive.
The former governor who arrived the venue at 9.42am got accredited by 10.15am and voted by 2.15pm.
When prodded by news­men to comment on his im­pression about the conduct of the election, Tinubu expressed displeasure over some report­ed irregularities, which were intended to suppress Lagos votes.
At Itolo polling unit, Su­rulere, where Governor Baba­tunde Fashola registered, the turnout was also impressive.
Fashola, who got to the polling unit by 10.40am, queued for 15 minutes before he was accredited.
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his wife, Mayowa were accred­ited at unit 025, GRA Ikeja at 10.55am.
Electoral officials de­lay accreditation in Ka­duna
From Ismail Omipidan, Kaduna
Accreditation of voters in Kaduna rolled off late as elec­toral officials did not arrive the polling stations at the expected time.
In most parts of the me­tropolis, it started around 9am, while in some outskirts of the town, especially in Chikun Council, accreditation com­menced around 11am.
While waiting for INEC officials, the voters took the initiative to be orderly by as­signing tally numbers to them­selves even as some others wrote their names on a sheet of paper to ensure that order­liness was maintained by the time the officials arrived.
At one of the polling units on Katuru Road, Ungwar Sarki, a voter, who identified himself as Barrister I. O Us­man, said he arrived the place at 6.30 am, but he was number 92 on the list.
Card readers fail in parts of Abuja
From ADETUTU FOLA­SADE-KOYI, Abuja
Fears about the easy op­erability of the card readers imported by the Independent National Electoral Commis­sion played out yesterday as the devices failed to func­tion in some polling units in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In some polling units, some card readers could not verify fingerprints for registered vot­ers.
The voter turnout was quite impressive even in areas like Asokoro and Maitama Dis­tricts, where the rich and pow­erful live in the FCT. In these districts, men and women took chairs to the polling cen­tres and preferred to wait at the venue after accreditation in the morning.
Sambo changes poll­ing unit, lauds card read­er
FROM ISMAIL OMIPI­DAN & NOAH EBIJE, KA­DUNA
Vice President Namadi Sambo was yesterday ac­credited for the polls at a new polling unit in less than two minutes.
Sambo and his wife, Ha­jiya Amina, who arrived the new polling unit by the police college fence in Kabala Doki ward 011 at 11.20 am, were welcomed by good number of voters and Peoples Demo­cratic Party, PDP, supporters.
Though he did not give any reason for dumping the former polling unit known as link/camp road, it was gath­ered that the decision was to avoid any clash between the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposi­tion All Progressive Congress (APC) which is believed to be in full control of the area.
Minister decries row­dy accreditation in Ilorin
Minister of National Plan­ning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman yesterday decried rowdiness at polling units in Agbaji quarters of Ilorin West Local Government, saying it was illegal for three polling units to be cited under one roof, saying that it was recipe for chaos.
The numbers of the polling units at the centre were given as 005, 006 and 0061. The Minister complained of ab­sence of security men at the polling units, adding that the PDP would not accept any fraud around the area.