The Governorship and State House of Assembly elections had a low voter turnout in Kwara, Niger, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi and Nasarawa states on Saturday.

But there was a large voter turnout in Jigawa and Katsina states.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that many polling units recorded a few voters in the eight states compared with the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to NAN, the hot weather in Gombe affected the exercise as many people stayed at home.

NAN reports that the turnout at Majidadi, Kofar Ajiya, Baba Nabirni, Dawaki and other polling units in Gombe compared to the turnout during the Presidential and National Assembly elections was poor.

Although the exercise was orderly while there was an improvement in the accreditation of voters in Kwara, the turnout was not impressive.

One of our correspondents learned that electoral officers arrived at various polling units early with their electoral materials, with accreditation commencing at 8am.

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, who cast his vote at Unit 008, Alebiopon at about 1.33pm, decried the low turnout. However, he hailed the peaceful conduct of the elections.

He said, “I think the low turnout is national. But the exercise has been carried out peacefully. The security is fantastic and people are very confident. We have always been praying to God and we hope He will make us victorious.”

Former governor of the state Bukola Saraki said after casting his vote at Ode Opobiyi polling unit that the low turnout was due to the outcome of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The Minister of National Planning Abubakar Sulaiman said many voters shunned the elections due “the lacklustre attitude of security agencies in the last elections.”

In Benue, the surging crowds of voters witnessed in the state during the Presidential and National Assembly elections disappeared on Saturday.

Voters were seen walking leisurely to polling units for accreditation from 8am, but one of our correspondents observed that the enthusiasm they exhibited during the presidential election was lacking.

In Makurdi, the state capital, Otukpo and parts of Gwer-West-Gwer-East in the North-West Senatorial District, as well as Guma, the situation was the same.

Unlike on March 28 when accreditation was delayed due to card reader failures and massive turnout, many polling units had rounded off accreditation by 11.30am on Saturday and were waiting for voting to start.

In Niger State, there was low voter turnout in Minna and other parts of the state.

There was low turnout in Kano metropolis, as only a few voters took part in the exercise.

According to reports, the turnout in Barnawa, Sabon-Tasha , Ungwar Romi, Kudenda, Nasarawa and Narayi , as well as other parts of Kaduna was not impressive.

The turnout in Sokoto was low compared to the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

NAN observed early arrival of electoral officers and materials in most of the polling units while accreditation of voters commenced as scheduled.

However, women were part of large number of voters that participate in the exercise in Jigawa, Sokoto, Plateau, Katsina and Nasarawa.

Copyright PUNCH.