Recall that the by-election was as a result of the death of late Ismaila Maihanchi, who had won the February 25, 2023, election for the federal constituency.
The House of Representatives bye-election to fill the vacant seat of the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in Taraba State was marred on Saturday by voters’ apathy as voters shunned the election.
Recall that the by-election was as a result of the death of late Ismaila Maihanchi, who had won the February 25, 2023, election for the federal constituency.
In many of the polling units visited by Punch, there were scanty voters sighted, as electoral officials were waiting for voters as of 12.30pm.
This is even as residents of Jalingo and Zing towns complied with the vehicular movement restriction as ordered by the police.
The major contenders in the by-election are Sadiq Abbas of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aminu Liman of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), and Aminu Malle of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
By-election for some federal and state constituencies is currently going on in some states across the country including Ebonyi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Taraba, amongst others.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had confirmed that there has been reported disruption of the election processes by acts of thuggery and hijacking of materials in some locations in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Kano States.
The commission on its X handle, on Saturday, had announced the disruption of the electoral processes in the 3 states.
It said generally, polls opened promptly and accreditation going on smoothly in the 8,934 Polling Units in 26 States involved in today’s bye-elections and re-run elections.
SaharaReporters had reported that no fewer than four million Nigerians were expected to vote, in the re-run and bye-elections to fill 48 legislative seats across 26 states of the country.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had however assured of credible exercises and tasked all stakeholders on support to ensure violence-free polls.
The affected states are Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.