Anxiety gripped several wards in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Saturday following delays in the commencement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primaries.
Party members and supporters who arrived early at designated centres were left stranded for hours as electoral materials and party officials failed to arrive in many of the wards monitored.
Checks across parts of the local government area showed that several centres were either deserted or yet to open as of late morning, creating uncertainty among party faithful eager to participate in the exercise.
At Vandapuye Ward, St. Theresa’s Primary School, supporters gathered in small groups discussing the delay while awaiting directives from party leaders.
As of about 11:25am, there was no visible sign of electoral materials or officials at the venue, a situation that heightened concerns among members who had turned out early for accreditation and participation in the primaries.
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Similar scenes were observed in the Holshe axis of Jos South local government where the designated venue for the exercise reportedly remained locked as of nearly 12: 10pm, leaving prospective participants waiting around the area for updates.
Sources within the party disclosed that some aspirants and stakeholders were engaged in consultations and meetings aimed at resolving issues linked to the conduct of the primaries in some wards.
A party leader who spoke to BusinessDay on telephone in confidence said leaders in some areas across the state were pushing for consensus arrangements among aspirants, a development he noted may have contributed to the delay being experienced in several wards.
BusinessDay observed that a similar situation played out in several parts of Plateau State, where party members and supporters were also left waiting for hours amid delays in the arrival of party officials and electoral materials for the APC primaries.
When contacted about past 1pm, Wumana Bako, Plateau State Publicity Secretary of the APC, told BusinessDay in a text message that returning officers were already being dispatched to their respective local government areas for the commencement of the primaries.
Bako assured party members that the process was ongoing and expressed optimism that the exercise would proceed smoothly across the state once the officials arrived at their designated centres.
