Voting in Sokoto in the extreme north-west of Nigeria is proving a serious business – and tempers have become rather ruffled on occasion in the blazing heat here.
Some polling booths in Sokoto city opened late due to a lack of voting materials; one hadn’t even opened by 14:30 local time (13:30 GMT), when everything should have been finishing up.
With 700 registered voters, just 300 presidential and senatorial votes arrived at one polling unit in the Mabera Gidan Jariri area, and none arrived for the house of representatives ballot.
Tear gas was shot at two voting locations in Gobirawa as a result of a misunderstanding between party agents in another section of the city.
Voters were agitated as a result of the scuffle, and electoral officials called a halt to the voting process while two police officers dealt with the situation.
Voting has been quiet elsewhere, and the lines are still long.
