SaharaReporters gathered that one of the INEC officials, who arrived at the place called their attention to it that they were in wrong place. The team quickly moved to the polling unit 010 AYA, but some of the ballot papers had been thumb-printed by the voters at the previous centre.
There was drama at Polling Unit 010 AYA in Abuja as the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) brought thumb-printed ballot papers after conducting election in a wrong polling unit.
The officials were said to have mistakenly gone to Total filling station in Area 11 and commenced voting. It was alleged that party agents and security operatives were not on ground at the time of the voting.
SaharaReporters gathered that one of the INEC officials, who arrived at the place called their attention to it that they were in wrong place. The team quickly moved to the polling unit 010 AYA, but some of the ballot papers had been thumb-printed by the voters at the previous centre.
The situation led to confusion as voters, who had been patiently waiting for the arrival of the electoral officials, discovered that some of the ballot papers had been thumb-printed and demanded an explanation.
It took the intervention of Yahaya Bello, the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who appealed to the voters, stating that the matter would be resolved. He explained that it was wrong for the INEC officials to open the poll without the presence of party agents and security agents.
On the allegation that the card reader was not used for those who voted at the wrong unit, Bello said all the thumb-printed ballots papers would be invalidated and fresh voting would commence.
The Commissioner also added that he had sent for officials of ICT Unit of the commission to reconfigure the card readers.