Yesterday, Abubakar Shettima actualised his plan to vote for his preferred presidential candidate at his polling unit located at Dogon Agogo in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Though Shettima was not the first on the queue, the 59-year- old was all smiles as he exchanged pleasantries with other voters before he walked back home to Duala, in Dogon Dutse Jos.

Shettima had surprised many when he relocated and camped at his polling unit on Wednesday, 13th February, in order to be the first person to cast his vote for President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He had spent three days and was gearing up to vote on Saturday morning when he learnt that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had postponed the February 16 presidential and national assembly election to February 23rd. He said he had been disappointed but was not rattled and had assured that, “I’m still on the queue, whenever INEC is ready for us we shall be ready. As humans, ours is to plan but only Allah determines when the plan can be executed,” he said.

Before his relocation, Shettima had sent his wife to Borno State and despite the postponement, he pressed on her to remain in Borno until she voted.

With a sleeping mat, a praying mat and blanket, Shettima took two pieces of clothing, his holy Qura’an and his PVC and head for Dogon Agogo. He had intended to camp under an old wide tree just beside a house where INEC had pasted the registration details of voters including that of Shettima, but the owner of the house offered him a room by an open mosque where Shettima joined many residents in congregational prayers.

The Borno-born father of nine’s reasons for relocating to his polling unit was not quickly understood even among his children. Fatima, one of Shettima’s daughters told Daily Trust that she had laughed and teased him on the Wednesday he made his announcement to relocate.

“He asked me to boil bathing water for him and I did but a few minutes later he went ahead to turn it into a bucket grumbling that I was wasting his time. It was very funny, he picked his mats, blanket and Qur’an to leave and when I saw him, I fell to the ground laughing but he ignored us and left,” she said.

But when Shettima narrated to journalists why he was doing what he did most people including his daughter became proud of him, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered.

Shettima said; “many people started saying that various government officials had given me money and that food stuff had been taken to my house. The rumour spread, so my brother who lives in Taraba State called and advised me to return home for fear that people may harm me,”

•Sourced from a Daily Trust report

• Abubakar Shettima stands by his polling unit in Dogon Agogo, Jos North Local Government area shortly after casting his vote.

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