Large Turnout of Covenant University/Canaanland Members for General Elections By Our Political Correspondent
Members of the Covenant University and Canaanland communities were not left out of the elections fray on March 28 as they turned out en masse to participate in the process of electing a President and members of the National Assembly. Staff and families started trooping out to the Benja/The Bells Polling Unit as early as 9am to perform their civic duty of voting. Many persons had to defy the distance, which had to be trekked, to ensure that they were part of the historic momentum, which offered another excellent opportunity to advance the progress of the country as well as its democratic consolidation.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charles Ayo and other Management staff drove in cars out of the campus between 10am and 12 noon for the mandatory card reading and accreditation. Also, the Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo arrived the accreditation/voting unit around 1pm, where an obviously surprised and elated tumultuous crowd swarmed around him in appreciation of his coming to join them in the unit to exercise his electoral rights like any of them.
Responding with greetings, smiles and handshakes, Dr. Oyedepo, who had driven from Canaanland through the deserted but erstwhile busy Idiroko Road, met the other Management staff, and a crowd of staff of Covenant University as well as a mammoth crowd of members of his Church, Winners’ Chapel, who rented the air with shouts of “Papa..Papa” and made spirited efforts to take photographs of him. He then proceeded to do his accreditation and waited a while after which he cast his vote.
Movement to and from the polling units in Sango Ota, particularly along Idiroko Road was generally and closely restricted. Our correspondent (this author) who drove round the units sighted heavily armed and stern-looking security operatives, who had mounted road blocks at every strategic corner. He was flagged down at a point and asked to produce any identification and the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) before he could be allowed further passage.
The accreditation and voting in the wards between Iyana Iyesi and Asore-Obere went peacefully. Nigeria was having elections for the determination of who would govern it for another four years. Eleven presidential candidates were contesting, two of whom were the strongest contenders, namely, General Muhammadu Buhari (a former military Head of State) of the All Progressives Congress and People’s Democratic Party’s Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who is the incumbent President.
