Source: Premium Times
By Ibrahim Mohammed
Women have turned out in large numbers to vote in the presidential and National Assembly elections in Kaduna State.
In most of the polling units visited by PREMIUM TIMES in the state capital metropolis, women patiently waited on queues to cast their votes.
Some of the women said they left their homes as early as 5:30 a.m to join the queues at the polling units.
At the Marnona polling unit in Unguwar Sarki, pregnant women were allowed to cast their votes before others.
The privilege initially generated argument as some women who claimed they arrived the polling unit as early as 6: a.m kicked against it.
"I was here since 6 a.m. to vote, why should they now say we should allow pregnant women that came late to vote before us?" A female voter who gave her name as Hajiya told this reporter.
"I'm an elderly woman too, I deserve to vote before anybody among them."
It took the intervention of the security agent at the unit and other ad-hoc staff before to persuade the elderly woman to allow pregnant women vote.
Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who spoke to journalists at the unit, commended the women for coming out en masse to vote.
"The report we are getting so far, women are really turning out. I am happy about the turnout. We are expecting more turn out of women in this elections," he said.
The elections at the polling unit and others in communities like Tudun Wada, Badiko, Unguwar Sanusi election did not commence until around 10 a.m.