The Nasarawa North Senatorial District by-election kicked off with an impressive voter turnout and a largely peaceful atmosphere across key local government areas, despite minor logistical delays.
Electorates turned out en masse across Akwanga, Wamba, and Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Areas to cast their ballots, with key stakeholders expressing strong confidence in the process managed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Speaking at Polling Unit P018 in the Alizaga Electoral Ward of Nasarawa Eggon Town, All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Isiaka Abdullahi lauded the electoral umpire for its organisation.
He acknowledged that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) experienced brief technical glitches early on, noting that the issues were quickly resolved, allowing voters to exercise their civic duties seamlessly.
“So far, so good. INEC has done well. All the election officials present right here, things are in order, and our BVAS is working perfectly now. It’s very peaceful; people are happy and actively guarding their votes to ensure their choices are protected. There is a sense of orderliness and happiness in the air”, Abdullahi stated.
He further commended the security agencies and members of the press for fostering what he described as an ambience of enjoyment surrounding the democratic process.
Also speaking, Top Contender, APC senatorial candidate, Alhaji Halilu Envulanza (popularly known as DHE), gave a positive assessment of INEC’s performance, which he described as exceptionally high, despite a slight delay in the movement of voting materials to the polling units.
“Materials were distributed yesterday, and though they were a bit late, they were successfully moved to the polling units this morning. There haven’t been any major complaints. So far, I rate INEC 90 percent. They are doing extremely well in Nasarawa State,” Envulanza noted.
He expressed absolute confidence in securing a decisive win, pointing to his extensive history of humanitarian service across the 35 wards of the senatorial district as his primary advantage.
“I am going to emerge victorious, Inshallah. This election is about my scorecard compared to others. The name ‘DHE’ is a household name here. All my life, I have been rendering services to humanity, and that speaks volumes.
During our campaign tours, electorates in every single ward came out to give testimonies of how I have impacted their lives in the past”, he added.
He further called on his supporters and the wider electorate to maintain the peace that has characterised most of the voting exercise. Urging them now to shift to the collation centers, with voters remaining at their polling units to watch the sorting and counting of ballots in defense of their mandates.
