TOO FAR TO VOTE

 

Hundreds of voters in some parts of the Banyo division of the Adamawa region could be denied their right to vote because of the distance separating them from polling offices.

The Governor of the Adamawa region Abakar Ahamat, expressed this concern today to the Electoral Board member of ELECAM, Madame Sadou nee LADIBAWA.

He said the suppression of some polling stations has left some villages 7km away from the closest polling office “it is one village, which is very far from the new polling station. They had a polling station but the polling station was cancelled, and they were transferred to another polling station that is 7km away from their house, it is too far, they will not be able to vote”.

The people of Mayo Fo’orou Minguem a remote village in Banyo division of the Adamawa overcame all the hurdles to exercise their civic right of voting, but they did not foresee this. “It is a problem we have presented to ELECAM and we hope they will find a solution that is my wish” Governor Abakar Ahamat said.

Less than two weeks to the poll, it is highly unlikely ELECAM will create a new voting office to address the concern. This means hundreds of registered voters in Mayo Fo’orou Minguem, could be excluded from the September 30 polls because the closest polling office to them is 7km away.

It is equally unlikely that these voters will trek to the next polling station in Labare Sieni.

Both officials also discussed the ongoing campaigns, training of voting centre staff and security around the elections.

It is worth noting that the Adamawa now has 1.344 polling centres and not 1.346 as announced in some media reports.