Vehicular movement unrestricted in Sokoto

As residents of Sokoto State troop out to cast their votes, vehicular movement was free and unrestricted in major parts of the state Saturday morning.

PREMIUM TIMES reporter who moved around major parts of the Sokoto metropolis reports that unlike in other places where restrictions are often placed on movement on election day, residents moved around largely unhindered in major parts of the state capital.

Our reporter observed that from the entrance of the Usman Dan Fodio University (UDUS), through the premises of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), residents and voters moved around in vehicles without restriction.

Some of the residents also brandished their voters’ cards while mobilising others to come out and exercise their franchise.

When this newspaper visited the popular Fodio Road, private vehicles with and without election accreditation stickers moved around peacefully without hindrances. The situation is the same on the major roads leading to Maiduguri Road.

Abu Sani, a voter and resident, told PREMIUM TIMES the seamless movement may not be unconnected to the peaceful electoral atmosphere the state enjoys.

“Our people rarely fight and they are peaceful and non-violent, that’s why movement is this free,” he said in pidgin English.

He also attributed the unrestricted movement to overall need to allow people who have their polling units situated in faraway places move around to exercise their franchise.

PREMIUM TIMES observed that apart from private vehicles, a few commercial motorcycle riders, popularly called “Kabu-Kabu”, also moved unhindered around the metropolis.

Similarly, except at major polling units, there is no visible presence of security operatives on major roads in the metropolis Saturday morning.