…Leads in 15 out of 18 LGAs
• As violence, vote buying mar election
• Police arrest 4 persons, seize 50 motorcycles
From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ondo State Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who contested for a second term under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be declared the winner of yesterday’s governorship election held in the state.
Feelers from the polling centres across the state indicate that the APC is leading in more than 15 out of the 18 local government areas of the state.
Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to formally announce the results as collation of results was still on as at press time, it was gathered that most of the results announced at different polling units favoured the APC.
Feelers shows that the APC is leading in Akure South, Akure North, Ondo West, Ondo East, Ile oluji, Ifedore and Owo Local Government Areas, while the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Agboola Ajayi is reported to be leading in Idanre Local Government Area.
A cross section of journalists, security agents, politicians, members of the civil society organizations and politicians had stormed the state secretariat of INEC for the final results but the commission was yet to make any formal declaration as at press time.
Governor Aiyedatiwa had expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, hailing INEC for conducting what he described as a transparent election. He also expressed hope that he would win the election with the support he enjoyed from the people and the works he did as the governor of the state.
He rated INEC high in the conduct of the election, saying the exercise was free, fair and credible.
But the PDP candidate and former Deputy Governor of the state, Hon Ajayi, alleged that INEC compromised its stand during the election. He said cases of vote buying and other irregularities characterized the election, even as he alleged that some of his supporters were attacked by political thugs suspected to be loyal to the APC candidate.
Findings by Sunday Sun revealed that violence marred the election in some polling centres including Ofosu, a sleepy community in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, during the governorship election.
It was gathered that loyalists of the PDP governorship candidate, Hon Ajayi and those of the APC candidate, Hon Aiyedatiwa clashed during the exercise. Sources informed that crisis occurred at one of the polling centres in the town shortly after the commencement of the election. It was gathered that an argument had ensued among the voters and that eventually led to crisis, after which political thugs stormed the polling centre and unleashed violence.
The running mate to the PDP governorship candidate, Hon Festus Akingbaso, alleged that the APC supporters were the first to cause trouble in the area. But the APC’s Director of Media and Strategy, Mr Steve Otaloro, denied the allegation, saying that the APC members couldn’t have caused crisis as they were sure of victory in the election.
Akingbaso who is a serving member of the House of Representatives said the PDP had already petitioned the Commissioner of Police over the activities of the APC members in some parts of the state.
Hon Akingbaso who voted at unit 08, ward 06 in Alade Idanre expressed optimism that the PDP would win the election if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not comprise.
“Information reaching me is that majority of the villages are filled with thugs allegedly brought in by the APC. At the moment, all the villages are occupied with thugs. Villages like Ofosu, Omifunfun and Alla are occupied. There is a place called Igbepo in Idanre Local Government Area where suspected thugs are in their numbers.
“An incident happened in Ofosu where suspected thugs broke into the house of a PDP member to prevent him from voting. We were informed that there were plans not to allow people in the villages to vote. Since Friday, the APC had been alleged to have brought in suspected thugs,” he added.
Meanwhile, cases of vote buying were allegedly recorded in some parts of the state during the election with voters allegedly being paid after casting their votes. At unit 17, ward 08 in Arakale area of Akure, voters were seen putting down their names after voting, while agents of political parties paid them.
Some of the voters moved to hidden places to collect their money, while money transfer was used to pay others.
he two major political parties allegedly involved in the vote buying were the APC and PDP.
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) monitoring the election were seen at Arakale area of Akure, yet the vote buying allegedly took place at polling centres in the area.
However, officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested an unidentified man caught with bags of money at St Stephen’s Primary School, Ijomu, Akure.
The suspect was whisked away by the DSS officers and his whereabouts could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
Also, four persons were arrested by the police for violating electoral guidelines during the election. Similarly, no fewer than 50 motorcycles and 10 cars were impounded by the police monitoring the election.
The arrests were made at Oyemekun road, Akure, the state capital by police officers who mounted surveillance on the road. Sunday Sun correspondent who monitored the election observed that those arrested by the police were either going or returning from their polling centres.
But a Police Officer who volunteered information said the offenders violated the electoral guidelines by moving during the period of election.
The police officer who did not disclose his identity informed that the offenders would be released and all the motorcycles would also be released to the owners.
He said there was restriction of movement in the state from 6.00am to 6.00pm but the offenders were seen moving during the period. He added that the police on election duty acted in accordance with the law.
