Abuja – Many commercial motorcycle riders, popularly called Okada riders, on Saturday in Gwagwalada Area Council of FCT defiled the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), restriction of movement order during Area Council polls to make brisk business.
Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the riders were seen conveying passengers to and from various destinations, especially to the polling units during the exercise.
Shaba Usman, an Okada rider told NAN that he had made N1, 200 since he started work in the morning of the exercise, adding that Saturday, slated for the polls was a normal day for him to conduct his business like other days.
“I have made so much money today, but I try to avoid the military checkpoints and police posts so that they will not stop me,” he said.
According to him, he had to feed his family election or no election.
Usman, however, promised to exercise his franchise as soon as possible while the exercise lasted and go back to his business.
Another Okada rider, who will not give his name, said that there were more passengers on the road wanting to go somewhere.
He added that the development motivated to be serious with his business in spite restriction of movement during the election, adding that he had made a lot of money for the day.
NAN reports that the atmosphere was however different with motorists as those seen during the exercise were mainly on essential duties.
In similar vein, some petty traders were seen in their small kiosks selling items such as soft drinks, biscuits among other provisions.
Mr Isah Jubrin, who owns a kiosk within the vicinity of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, told NAN that he had made some money but that the patronage was low.
The petty traders were also seen lurking within and around the various polling stations to make brisk business.
At the Kutunku Primary School, which has 10 polling points and over 300 voters, the traders were seen under shades selling water and soft drinks to voters.
Some of them sold items like snacks, bean cake (Akara), food and other local delicacies like cow skin (kpomo) in pepper sauce.
Mrs Asabe Haruna, who sold snacks and soft drinks said that she had to go back home to get fresh supply of drinks.
“This is the second set of water that I am selling today, the first one finished very fast.
“It was as if the people were just waiting for us to bring water,” she said.
NAN reports that as at the time of this report, elections in five wards visited were going on peacefully and orderly but under the watchful eyes of the security personnel. (NAN)