There was low voter turnout across Niger State during yesterday’s Local Government elections, which also witnessed violence in some of the polling units.

When Sunday Telegraph visited some polling units in Bosso, Suleja, Paikoro, and Chanchaga Local Government Areas, voters and electoral officers arrived at the polling units around 10 am, while in other places, there were voters on the ground as early as 8 am but there were no electoral officers.

This was as the Niger Police Public Relations officer (PPRO), SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the burning of sensitive electoral materials in Magama LGA, saying “some people have been arrested.”

Sunday Telegraph gathered that election materials were set on fire by angry residents following reports of missing result sheets in the materials in Nasko, Magama LGA, after the residents’ accused officials of attempting to manipulate the election process.

It was reliably gathered that the target was the INEC office, but residents around pleaded with the irate youths that burning of the INEC office would affect their houses.

However, an official of the Niger state Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), who pleaded anonymity, claimed that they were able to save some of the sensitive materials even though others got burnt and elections were held in some wards.

In the Chachanga Local Government Area, there was a low turnout of voters as it was observed that several polling units did not record half the number of voters as expected, while electoral materials did not arrive at the polling units until around 10.30 am.

In the Bosso and Paikoro Local Government Areas, there was a low turnout and a late arrival of election materials and officials.

In Shiroro and Munya local government areas, there were no elections in several parts of the local government areas, while in those where the election took place, there was low turnout.