NigeriaDecides: Nigeria 2015 Presidential, National Assembly Elections – LIVE UPDATES

Ogala Emmanuel

 

Today, Nigerians vote in their fifth presidential and national assembly elections since the country’s return to democracy in 1999.

Voters would choose from 14 presidential candidates and hundreds of National Assembly candidates.

In the build up to the elections, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress and Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party have popped up clearly as top contenders for the office of the president.

While the APC candidate came tops in most of the polls conducted in the run-up to the elections, analysts say the race is tight and a winner is difficult to tell before the votes are counted.

As the elections are underway across the country, PREMIUM TIMES reporters would bring you live updates from the field. Follow live updates on the elections HERE.

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1. Go to your polling unit and get accredited

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LIVE UPDATES HERE

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08.10

At Polling Unit 008, Area 2 Shopping Complex by the library in Abuja, voters have gathered and are waiting for INEC staff to arrive. Voters have given themselves queue numbers ahead of INEC's accreditation.

08.21

It's a mostly cloudy morning in Lagos, temperature is 28 degrees Celsius. The roads are deserted and military checkpoints dot strategic locations around the city. Prospective voters are seen moving in groups to their polling units. At Old Ojo Road, dozens of voters have assembled at most of the polling units waiting for INEC officials who are yet to arrive. Valentine Okonkwo, a resident of Old Ojo Road, says he expects a peaceful election. "My expectations for today's election is that those coming to cast their votes would be as orderly as possible, and steer clear of trouble. "Maybe for a little logistic reason INEC officials are yet to get to this place and I hope they get here soon so we start accrediting people for their votes."

08.34

The Independent National Electoral Commission has postponed House of Reps elections in eleven federal constituencies in Jigawa State. The posponment follows insufficent supply of sensitive election materials including ballot papers and result sheets for the election. The postponement does not affect the presidential and senate election in the consituencies. The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Halliru Aliyu Tambawel announced the postponemnt Friday night at INEC headquarters in Dutse The affected constituencies are Dutse/Kiyawa, Ringim/ Taura, HadeJia/Kafin Hausa/Auyo, and Jahun Miga federal Constituencies of Jigawa state, others include Gumel/Maigatari/Sule tankarkar/ Gagarawa, Kaugama/Malam-madori and Gwaram Federal constituencies. Babura/Garki, Birnin Kudu /Buji, Birniwa/ Guri/Kirikasamma and Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/’Yankwashi. The resident electoral commissioner said the Presidential and senatorial elections will hold as scheduled in all the 27 local government areas in the state.

08.37

At Iworoko Ekiti, Irepodun Ifelodun LGA, voters are gathered outside waiting for the arrival of INEC officials and materials

08.40

At AP plaza Wuse 2, PU/37/06/04/180 is yet to start accreditation. The INEC official arrived at exactly 8.32am and are about to set up. Voters arrived as early as 7.00am to pick up numbers before accreditation begins proper.

08.41

Accreditation ongoing at Unit 2 Ward 3, Ifaki 1. Ido \Osi local govt.

08.41

Katsina

At 8:32am, INEC officials were collecting election material at Mazoji town in the outskirts of Dara, the hometown of General Muhammad Buhari, in Katsina state.

08.45

Katsina

The APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and his wife, Aisha, have been accredited in his hometown, Daura.

08.55

6:30am, Saturday morning, security agents are seen around the entire city of Calabar. Late Friday, police commissioner, Okey Ezeani, had in a press statement announced a curfew between the hours of 6am and 7am. Presently, election materials are yet to arrive as all polling booths as at this time are empty. The streets are deserted, residents remain indoors

08.59

Ondo

At the governor pooling unit, the situation reports on the road indicates that accreditation of electorate have began. At Unit 24 Adepetu ward Ondo West local government, the turn-out on queue is impressive and peaceful for now.

09.02

Ekiti

A voter in wheelchair display his voters card after completing his accreditation at Ido-Osi in Ifaki local government, Ekiti.

09.08

Abuja

The polling unit at AP plaza Wuse 2 has yet to start accreditation. INEC officials arrived at 8.32am and are about to set up. Voters arrived as early as 7.00am to pick up numbers.

09.08

Oyo

At Ward 11 in Ibadan south west local government, INEC officials ‎have arrived and are setting up to start accreditation of voters.

At units 18-21, where Governor Abiola Ajimobi is expected to cast his vote, officials have arrived. Security personnel are also on ground.

At ward 12, Unit 39 at Ibadan South-West Local government, INEC officials are yet to arrive.

Residents who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said there were speculations that INEC has shifted the polling unit to Government College.

"We voted here in 2011, we registered here, we got our PVC here but we can't find INEC here today. We cannot take this," one man, who gave his name as Adejumo, told our reporter.

09.11

Katsina

Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC being accredited at his polling unit.

09.19

Oyo

Around Gbekuba area, Ward 12, in Ibadan South West Local Government, INEC officials were yet to arrive as at 8:45 when PREMIUM TIMES visited. Electorates, discussing the delay, vowed to challenge the result if they are unable to vote eventually. Also at unit 067, 068, 069 ward 12 Ibadan South west local government, INEC officials have yet to arrive as at 9:07. Electorates are also worried at this polling centre. Meanwhile, INEC officials have started accreditation at unit 1 ward 1Atiba LG, Oyo state.

09.20

Abuja

The polling unit at AP plaza Wuse 2 has started accreditation at exactly 9:15am

09.23

Bauchi

At Makama/Sarki Baki in Bauchi state, the number of voters in that area exceeded between 701 to 900 which prompted them to create another voting point created.

09.25

Adamawa

The accreditation process is peaceful and going on smoothly at Ward 2 (EC30A) Polling station, Numan - Adamawa State

09.27

Lagos

#LAGOS: It's almost an hour now and INEC officials are yet to arrive at the polling centres in Festac Town and Ago Palace Way, Okota. Voters are standing idly around polling units. At Alli Dada Street, Okota, Ademola Adeko, a resident says they had been waiting for INEC officials since 7 a.m. "People will get frustrated when they don't see them," said Mr. Adeko, a retired Engineer. "That is the problem, they always come late. I want you to tell them, they should come in time. So when they come, there won't be people sitting around trying to foment any trouble."

09.27

Bayelsa

President Goodluck Jonathan arrives his hometown, Otuoke, in Bayelsa State with wife, Patience, for accreditation. The president's mother arrived earlier at the polling unit.

09.27

Bayelsa President Goodluck Jonathan has been accredited in his Otuoke Polling Unit. His accreditation took at least six minutes at the card reader stage where his finger prints were matched with his records. His wife, Patience, is next in line.

09.31