Voter apathy mars Adamawa LG poll, gov absent

Adamawa State's local government election on Saturday was marred by significant voter apathy, with numerous polling units lacking both officials and voters. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri was notably absent from the state during the exercise.

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The PDP governorship candidate and the chairmanship candidates were going out every day for campaigns, but the ruling APC was not doing the same. So, if the PDP wins the election today, it is due to its hard work.

Preliminary results suggest the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is leading in 18 out of the 21 local government areas. The state's Commissioner for Information, Leader Leneke, attributed the low turnout partly to the ruling All Progressives Congress's (APC) less vigorous campaign efforts compared to the PDP. He also noted that rural residents often perceive local government elections as predetermined for the ruling party, contributing to their disinterest.

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There is voter apathy in today’s election because people in rural areas believe that local government elections are meant for the ruling party in government, so they see no reason to come out and vote.

Leneke further explained that heavy rain, which began after 1 p.m., also impacted voter turnout, expressing hope that people would still participate after the downpour. However, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Demsa Local Government Area, Mr. Dennis Kakaba, described the situation as a "shame for democracy," claiming that results were pre-written and elections only took place in a fraction of the polling units. The APC Publicity Secretary, Dogo Victor, remained confident in his party's eventual victory.

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The rain, which started after 1pm, has also affected turnout. We are sure people will still come out after the rain.