March 18 Election: General Abdulsalami, Ex-Niger Gov. Aliyu say voters apathy expected
AREWA AGENDA – Former Head of State and Chairman, National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the mistakes and challenges observed in the Presidential and the National Assembly elections of February 25th are addressed in the governorship election.
He however said the voter’s apathy being experienced in the governorship/House of Assembly elections is expected, saying tha people get tired to vote sometimes but could not give further reason.
Speaking after casting his vote at the Uphill polling unit in Minna, Abdulsalami appealed to the people to accept the results of the elections if they see it as free and fair stressing that there is the need for everyone to embrace peace in the country.
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But speaking with newsmen after casting his votes in Minna, former Niger state Governor, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said that the voter’s apathy was mainly due to the outcome of te February 25th Presidential and the National Assembly which he said the people were disenchanted with the results.
According to him, the confidence of the people in the elections was based on the assurances given by INEC about electronic voting and how the results would be transmitted into the INEC server but the people’s hope were dashed when this did not happen.
According to him, “With what happen during the February 25 election, we were not happy. BVAs were supposed to be used but it wasn’t used. Even in Niger state, we saw where BVAs were not used but results came out and in some places, the people were more than the voting population.
“Therefore, if we see apathy today, it would be as a result of what happened on the 25th. People’s vote must count before democracy could be entrenched in this country.
For today, I am still expecting that people will come out to cast their votes and if they don’t, it could be justify on the basis that they had voted but what they voted was not what they saw at the end of the day’, He added
Credit: The Sun
