The by-election for Ibadan North Federal Constituency commenced on Saturday with a noticeably low turnout of voters across polling units, despite early arrival of electoral officials.
The election, which followed the death of Rep. Olajide Akinremi of the All Progressives Congress on July 10, saw Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff setting up polling stations as early as 7:30 a.m. in several wards, yet only a handful of voters showed up.
At Bodija Ward 10 Unit 26 and Ward 5 Unit 19, INEC officials and security personnel were on ground, ready for accreditation and voting. “We are 100 per cent ready… we are waiting for voters,” said Omolara Gbamigbade, an INEC official at Methodist Grammar School Bodija.
Party agents also confirmed preparedness, though some expressed concerns. Bolaji Abiona, a PDP agent, noted that everything was set for the exercise but lamented the poor voter presence.
The first voter at Ward 10 Unit 27, Police Station Bodija, Miss Oluwaseun Omisakin, who cast her ballot around 9:07 a.m., described the process as seamless, praising the professionalism of officials in handling a brief glitch with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
However, other polling stations recorded hitches. At Sango, Oju Irin, Ward 8 Unit 031, PDP agent Ajayi Lucas criticized INEC’s late arrival at 9:50 a.m., saying the delay was unacceptable. Similarly, at Ward 8 Unit 1, Sango, officials were absent as of mid-morning.
The low voter turnout and uneven commencement of the process have raised concerns among stakeholders as the constituency elects a replacement for the late lawmaker.
