By Emma Aziken, Clifford Ndujihe, Okey Ndiribe, Evelyn Usman & Sunkanmi Akoni
President GoodluckJonathan is among scores of top government officials and politicians who have shifted base to their home towns with a view to “delivering their political roots” to their different parties.

Politicians who fail to win in their constituencies are regarded as lightweights by their colleagues and are often derided as such.

Jonathan

Reports from across the country said many ministers, governors, commissioners, legislators, and special advisers/special assistants, among others, have also arrived in their home towns and villages to mobilise support for their parties in today’s election which will define the subsequent ones – presidential scheduled for next Saturday, April 9, and governorship/state assembly fixed for April 16.

At stake today are 469 seats, 360 of which are House of Representatives seats and the remaining 109, senatorial.
A total of 73.5 million people across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were registered by INEC to vote in the 120,000 polling booths designated for the purpose.

Contractors slow down distribution of materials

The distribution of materials for today’s election proceeded at a slow pace in the South West yesterday following failure by contractors to meet delivery deadline.

At press time last night, maps of polling units needed by polling officers to identify their areas of posting, kits for observers and tags for media men were yet to be fully delivered to many offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in the Southwest including Lagos. INEC officials, however, gave assurance that the sensitive materials including the ballot papers to be used in the election had been fully received.

The Lagos State office of INEC in Yaba was a beehive of activities last night as political party officials, journalists and election observers mounted vigil for the kits.

The vigil, however, turned dramatic at about 7.10 p.m. when as journalists and local and foreign observers waiting for the arrival of the election materials were sent out of the Lagos INEC premises by officials of the commission on the excuse that the distribution of sensitive materials was about to commence.

An INEC official attributed the late distribution to the failure of some contractors to deliver on their contracts as stipulated.

While some expressed anxiety many political party officials, however, mounted vigil to witness the distribution of the sensitive materials.

Observers from the European Union, African Union and local observers were among those still waiting as at press time for the arrival of materials at the Yaba office of INEC.

Security was also reinforced at the INEC office in Lagos.

The INEC Resident Commissioner in Lagos State, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola said the Navy was helping in distributing the materials to riverine areas. We are committed to conduct a free and fair election , the police shall assist us , and the police is ready to redeem its image , any irregularity will be taken seriousness,” he said.

Alkali meets Navy, SSS
Shortly before proceeding to Rivers State Police Command to assume duties there, the out-going Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Yusuf Alkali, held a meeting with commanders of the 9 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy Service(NNS)  Beecroft and the Nigerian Airforce Base Logistics command, yesterday, to finetune security arrangements towards ensuring  violence free- elections in the state.

The  Commander, 9 Brigade,Ikeja cantonment, Brigadier General Sanusi Muazu,said his men would enforce the restriction of movement by mounting road blocks at strategic points around Lagos while the Commander, NNS Beecroft,

President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife Patience and Gov Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State on the President’s arrival in Otueke in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa State Friday for tomorrow’s National Assembly polls. Photos: State House.

Commodore Jonathan Ango said Naval personnel would be deplored to assist the Marine Police on the waterways, particularly in riverine areas, to ensure they all water ways were close to traffic. Naval personally  he stated, would also provide security for INEC officials and materials, by escorting those assigned to riverine areas in the boats.