Lalong casts vote, complains of long ballot paper

TRACKING>>Governor @SimonLalong and his wife, Regina Lalong cast their votes earlier today at LGEA Primary School, Ajikamai, Shendam Local Government Area, Plateau State.

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has complained about the size of the ballot paper for the ongoing Presidential and National Assembly elections, saying the paper is long and the parties’ logos small.

Lalong made the complaint while addressing newsmen shortly after casting his vote at about 10:30 a.m. in his village at Ajikamai, in Shendam Local Government Area of the state.

“I had to go through the ballot paper three times before I saw my party’s logo. I believe that subsequently they will improve on it and make it easy for the voters,” he said.

He, however, expressed optimism that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), would win the elections.

The governor also said that he expected the election to end peacefully.

“As the chief security officer of the state, I have not received any report of problem in any part of the state. So far, everything is going on peacefully and I expect it to end peacefully.

“We have been in peace and we don’t expect elections to puncture the peace,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that voting started at exactly 8 a.m at Local Education Authority Primary School Ajikamai Polling Unit where the governor voted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was massive turnout of voters at some polling units visited in Shendam.

Mr Paul Jatau, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau Council, who also voted at Ajikamai Polling Unit 2, said everything was going on smoothly.

“All was set before 8 a.m. At exactly 8 a.m. voting started. I voted without any hitch and voting is going on smoothly,” Jatau said.

Mr Linus Edet, the Presiding Officer at the governor’s polling unit, said that everything was going on smoothly.

“I have no particular challenge except that some people’s fingers were difficult to capture. We make them to thumbprint against their names in the register beside their photographs,” he said.

Fanap Nanpoe, another voter who just cast his vote, also said that all was going on well.