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Apathy, late arrival of material, ballot snatching mar Ogun LG poll


Low turnout of voters, late arrival of materials as well as incidences of ballot boxes snatching greeted the local government and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) held across the three Senatorial districts of Ogun State yesterday.

The chairmanship and councillorship poll conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) particularly recorded pockets of violence in East and Central Senatorial districts of the state where supporters of some political parties alleged that security personnel deployed for election duties also connived with supporters of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to snatch ballot boxes.

Though voters were generally disenchanted about the conduct of the election, particularly when electoral officers have failed to report at their various duty posts three hours after the expected officially designated period for the commencement of the election, cases of ballot boxes snatching were recorded across Ijebu - Ode, Iperu - Remo as well as in Itoku Market area of Abeokuta metropolis where ballot boxes were allegedly set ablaze by the PDP chairmanship candidate for Abeokuta South local government.

While late arrival of materials as well as OGSIEC ad-hoc staff were particularly recorded at some Polling Units located in front of the Akarigbo palace and Saabo in Sagamu, incidences of ballot boxes snatching were also recorded across polling units at Iperu in the Ikenne local government area as well as across voting centers in Ita’Ntebo and other parts of in Ijebu - Ode local government.

Also, Areas like unit 7, Iganosi in Akarigbo Street, Olowonifaari ward 2, unit 1, Akarigbo of Remo land palace, in Sagamu local government, they are still waiting for the arrival of the officials of OGSIEC.

Meanwhile, accreditation and election started as early as 8:30 am at unit 4, ward 1, Mr BIGGS area in Sagamu local government
Some of the electorates, who spoke with journalists alleged that ballot boxes snatching was carried out by political thugs led by a man identified as “Radical” and two others allegedly working for a former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly who lost his re-election bid during the year 2015 general elections. 

A PDP supporter identified as Goodluck a.k.a “Baba Eleja” was allegedly shot at Ilara - Remo in Ikenne local government and has been transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Babcock University Teaching Hospital in Ilisan Remo.

Some of the voters who spoke with journalists alleged that OGSIEC deliberately delayed the arrival of electoral materials in all the identified strongholds of the non-APC politicians like the PDP House of Representative member, Honourable Ladi Adebutu comes from as well as in Igbile town of Leguru LCDA where the governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Prince Rotimi Paseda voted.

Despite the skirmishes recorded, security across the state was very tight as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed that a total of 5, 000 policemen were deployed for the election.

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