There is high security presence in Gombe metropolis on Saturday morning as voters walked to polling units.
At Nassarawo, Yelenguruza, Union Bank road, Madaki, Sabon Layi, Herwagana and Kumbya-Kumbya areas of Gombe, there was a large number of people trooping out to cast their votes.
Troops and other security agents had mounted road blocks to enforce compliance with restrictions of vehicular movement in the Gombe metropolis.
Also, unarmed policemen were observed escorting corps members, other ad hoc staff and election materials to various polling units as early as 6.55am.
Voters were observed walking to various polling units in Yelenguruza, Madaki, Nassarawo and Herwagana as early as 6.40am.
Some of the voters at Yelenguruza said they had to walk to their polling units since there was restriction on vehicular movement.
Uche Moses, a voter, said he was going to exercise his civic right, “having lived in Gombe State for 30 years, it will be unfair not to partake in the electoral process.”
Moses said he had to walk about two kilometres to his polling unit at State Low-cost area of the metropolis.
“When I showed them my voter card, they just allowed me to pass; for now the situation is good and I pray it is maintained so we can cast our votes and go back home peacefully.”
At Herwagana, Ibrahim Abubakar said the tight security situation encouraged him to come out early and he hoped to cast his vote early and return home.
In Edo State, there is a couspicous improvement in the security situation on Saturday.
Residents of Edo are going to the poll to elect 24 House of Assembly members, as the governorship election is only due in the state in 2024.
As against the experience during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, there is a large presence of security operatives on election duty.
Combined teams of security agents mounted roadblocks in strategic areas to enforce the restriction of movement order by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali.
In Benin, as of 7 a.m. on Saturday, the teams, which comprised police officers, military personnel and other paramilitary officers were already at checkpoints conducting stop-and-search.
At Ugbowo, Iyaro, Akpakpava, First East Circular road and Sapele road, among others, vehicular movement was being restricted, except those who were on election duty.
This is a sharp contrast to the situation during the last elections, when residents flagrantly defied the restriction on movement, with inadequate security officers to enforce the directive.
Many were seen engaging in their businesses without recourse to the security guideline.
This development, many stakeholders blamed for the pocket of violence that characterised the electoral process in some parts of the state.
