2023 Guber & State Houses of Assembly Elections Special Election Reports from States by our correspondents

By Admin

Report from Oshogbo, Osun State

2023 State Assembly Poll: Oyetola, wife cast vote, urges INEC officials to avoid over-voting
… decries low voters’ turnout, sponsored violent attacks in some parts of Osun.

The immediate past Osun Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has enjoined officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to buckle-up and prevent anything capable of leading to over-voting in any polling unit of the State.

Oyetola who commended the electoral umpire for its diligence, said it was incumbent on the Commission to resist any temptation capable of compromising and marring the standard of the electoral process in the ongoing legislative election in the State.

This is even as Oyetola decried voters’ apathy and pocket of violence that characterised the election in parts of the State, urging residents to resist the PDP’s antics and troop out en masse to exercise their civic responsibilities.

The former Governor stated these on Saturday while fielding questions from journalists shortly after he and his wife cast their vote, at Unit 10, Ward 1, Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of the State.

Oyetola who arrived his polling unit alongside his wife around 10:30am, expressed serious concerns on the serial attacks being launched on voters particularly loyalists of his party – the All Progressives Congress, APC in some parts of the State.

He listed some Local Government Areas where the challenges are being experienced to include Osogbo, Olorunda, Ilesa-West, Ilesa-East, Atakunmosa West and Atakunmosa East as well as Councils in Ife axis. He, therefore, called on security agencies and other concerned authorities to swing into action and address the menace.

He wondered how miscreants and political hoodlums would be freely attacking the electorate on the day-of-election without check, saying such devilish act must be curtailed before it snowballs into something else as such could prevent voters from coming out to vote.

Oyetola who attributed the palpable voter’s apathy that characterised the House of Assembly election to incessant violent attacks, intimidation and extra judicial killings and maiming of innocent residents in the last three months, said it had become imperative for the security agencies to immediately rise to the occasion and bring the perpetrators to book.

“Well, the exercise appears to be going on well. The turnout has not been particularly impressive alongside with voter’s apathy, as we speak, compare with what obtained three weeks ago.

“The turnout is not impressive at all. I heard of report of pocket of violence in some parts of the state. I heard of Osogbo, Ife, Ilesa, Atakunmosa East and Atakunmosa West. I learnt that PDP thugs are molesting voters particularly members of our party.

“Yes, I must commend the security agencies for rising up to the occasion but that is not enough, if we don’t guarantee the security, people will not want to go out and vote, and this will hinder the turnout. As you can see, the present turnout cannot be compared with what we had the last time.

“As I commend the security for doing a good job, so also, the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Looking at what we have experienced here, it shows that they are doing very well. I can testify to this polling unit where I voted.

“I pray and I hope that we will not have cause to experience over-voting in any polling unit. It is a common knowledge that over voting takes place only when there’s a compromise in one way or the other.

“I want to enjoin INEC officials to ensure proper accreditation. If anybody doesn’t go through it, he or she shouldn’t be allowed to vote. We are looking forward to a very peaceful exercise. Like I said, the turnout is not too impressive”, he added.

FROM BENIN, EDO STATE
Low Turn Of Voters Mars Rescheduled Election In Edo state

The resheduled Houses of Assembly election which is taking place across the country withnessed low turn out of voters across the major towns in Edo state.

The turnout of voters and the enthusiastic to vote compared to the last presidential and National Assembly elections is very poor.

In Benin city, INEC officials came out very early in all the different voting centers, but voters turn out was very poor which shows there was voters apathy.

Speaking after casting his vote in Polling Unit 019 ward 4 In Oredo , Benin city , the governor, Godwin Obaseki complained of the tight security around the city. He appealed to the authorities concerned to relax it, as voters are finding it difficult to move to their polling units to cast their votes.

“ you can see that most people have not come out to vote, but I believe they will come out later , but the security situation should be relax to enable them to come out to vote.

There were pockets of reports in some parts of the state capital, the IDP camp in Ohogua community In Ovia north east ,as hoodlums invaded the polling units at the camp and carted away electoral materials thereby distructing the voting process in the camp

Also report from Edo central District says the same low turnout of voters is witnessed, adding that only the real politicians are the ones coming out to vote.

In Auchi, the headquarters of Etsako west LGA , a visit to most of the polling units witnessed voters apathy, trickles of voters unlike the presidential election.

In an interview, an APC chieftain who is also the managing director of Benin Owena Rivers basin development Authority BORBDA, Engr Saliu Ahmed who cast his votes in ward one of the local government said although the turn of voters was low as the time he voted,he was optimistic it will improve before the ending of voting period

Similarly the situation was the same in Agbede, south ibie in Etsako west LGA, Igarra in Akoko Edo, fugar, Etsako central, okpella, Agenebode in Etsako East, warrake, in owan east

According to respondent across the various units , they all attributed the voters aparty to lack of confidence on INEC, the lost out of their candidates in the last election and the scarcity of cash to solve logistics problem.

From Makurdi, Benue State

Governorshp Polls: Three Person’s Allegedly Killed By Military Personnel Over Attempt To Snatch Ballot Boxes In Benue

Three person’s suspected to be political thugs to one of the parties in Benue State were allegedly shot dead Saturday by military personnel who were providing security during the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Gboko Local Government Area in an attempt to snatch ballot boxes and to cause confusion.

An eyewitness told Citypost.ng in a telephone interview yesterday, that a security marked helicopter hovering over Gboko and its environs sighted the thugs at a popular area known as “Ubangaji” on top of 15 motorcycles behaving funny near a polling unit and on sighting security operatives in their great numbers started fleeing, a development which led the army personnel to neutralize them with three of the bad boys including one of them known as Mandela aslo being killed.
While in Kwande Local Government Area reports indicate that heavy crisis erupted after materials were shared so much that could not be controlled, leading to postponement of the elections.

Efforts to confirm the alleged deaths in Gboko with the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Sewuese Anene failed while INEC PRO on the crisis in Kwande and the postponment of election in the area said he was on election duty in a different part of the state and provided GSM number of the HOD voter education but when contacted his phone was switched off.
While elections conducted in some Local Government Areas including
Ushongo, Ukum, Logo, and Makurdi were said to be conducted under peaceful atmosphere.

At NKST primary school polling unit in Ushongo town and Kpor market square polling units where Managing Director of Privent Construction Nig Ltd Mr Stephen Akange voted, an INEC officer who preferred anonymity informed Aljazirah Nigeria that materials were distributed early enough while accreditation and voting started about 9:30 am.
He said all voting materials were made available by INEC as no shortage was recorded with the process very smoothly while the police personnel on ground and engineer Akange of Privent Construction Nig Ltd,all confirming that the process was peaceful.

In Ukum Local Government Area senator- elect for Benue North East Memga Udende in an interview with journalists after casting his vote at LGEA primary school Gbayier polling unit in Tsaav council ward, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the process and commended INEC for prompt distribution of electoral materials and early commencement of the exercise.
He urged electorates not to engage in violence, expressing optimism that the APC will emerge victorious both in the Governorship and State House Assembly elections.

While in Makurdi Local Government Area a voter Rev Jonathan Kungo, confirmed that the process was going on smoothly, expressing hope that INEC will declare winner of the result in the most free and fairest manner.

At Aganyi polling near Ugba in Logo Local Government Area, a voter complained that BVAS machine had failed after only 22 person’s were captured for voting but said the machine was taken back for repairs, pointing out that the polling unit has over 1000 registered voter’s.

From Abeokuta, Ogun State

Sporadic Shooting Rent Polling Unit As Thugs Snatch Ballot Boxes in Ogun

Hoodlums suspected to be political thugs have snatched ballot boxes at Ayegbami polling booth, Ward 3, Unit 5, in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State, shooting sporadically

The thugs, it was gathered, stormed the polling booth and fire gun shots to scare voters away before snatching the ballot boxes from the polling booth not far from where Governor Dapo Abiodun voted in the March 18 Election.

A resident who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said that the thugs came in a car and snatched the two ballot boxes but were able to make away with one of the boxes.

He said that such experience occurred during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly Elections where the same set of political thugs snatch away ballot boxes from the polling units.

The eyewitness said that the Assistant Polling Officer(APO) Babatunde Alalade, was beaten up by the electorates over the development, accusing him of given the hoodlums chance to snatch away the ballot box.

He alleged that a Chieftain of the All Progressive Party (APC) was the mastermind of the ballot box snatching whom he said took the stolen ballot box to his house and changed it to another one with fake votes

The source said that immediately they snatched away one of the ballot boxes, the voters had to protect the other ballot box, from being whisked away before the security men came to intervene.

“We observed they took one of the ballot boxes, one APC chieftain came in his car with thugs and took the ballot box away. That is why we had to protect the remaining ballot box because the chieftain took the box, to his house and changed the ballot box to another one filled with votes and then returned it to the polling unit.” he said.

From Abeokuta, Ogun State
Osinbajo Hails INEC Over Peaceful Conduct of Governorship/State Assembly Elections

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the Governor and State House of Assembly Election.

Osinbajo, who spoke while casting his vote at Egunrege Polling booth, Unit 14, Ward 1, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, said that with what he saw at his polling units, the electoral body had performed very well.

He said that he hope that peaceful process went across the whole nation, noting that exercising his franchise at his polling unit was a pleasant exercise

“My own polling booth here is excellent and i think everything us peacefully and the whole process have been conducted very well and i just hope and pray that this is how it is being carried out across the nation. It has been very pleasant experience that i was able to cast my votes and also so many of us have been able to cast our votes” the VP added.

From Akure, Ondo State

Hoodlums destroy, burn Voting Materials in Ondo

Suspected thugs have reportedly hijacked and destroyed ballot boxes and other voting materials for the House of Assembly election in units almost ten out the twelve units in ward 12 at Ute in Ose Local Government area of Ondo state.

The units which ballot boxes were destroyed included 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 15, of Ward 12 at Ute.

Its was reliably gathered that the thugs stormed all the nine units to destroy the ballot boxes having realised the direction at which the voters were casting their votes.

It was also gathered that the thugs belonging to a political party had earlier threatened the voters that any attempt to vote for the other political parties in the area would be resisted by all means.

Despite the threat, voters were said to have cast their votes for the other political party ,hence the destruction of Ballot Boxes in the ward at Ute, in Ose Local Government.

A source disclosed that some INEC officials were also attacked on their way to the collation center and Ballot papers and other election materials in their custody were destroyed and burnt.