Violence, low turnout, vote buying mar election in Ondo

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Violence, low turnout, vote buying mar election in Ondo

Violence , low turn out of voters, vote buying marred the Saturday House of Assembly election across Ondo state.

The turnout yesterday was low as compared with the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

In many council areas, visited across the state, despite the prompt arrival of polling officers and adequate security provided, the electorate failed to show up to vote.

INEC officials arrived polling units on time at 8:00am, voting did not commence until around 9:00am in many units.

Electoral officials waited for hours before the voters started coming for accreditations.

As at 10am, polling units were scanty and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials stayed idle at polling units.

Commercial activities are ongoing in some council areas as motorists and motorcyclists were seen plying the metropolis.

Reports had it that majority of the electorate preferred going to their farms than exercising their franchise in the election.

Reports had it that partys candidates, had to employ the services of town criers to go round and appeal to the residents to come out and vote.

Voting and accreditation of voters started early and ended before noon across the state because of the low turn out.

Some youths, across the state, were seen playing football on the road while buying and selling were also going on in other parts of the state.

Aside some places where the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctioned, it worked perfectly across the state, according to reports.

Loyalists of party candidates were seen handing over dollar notes to voters in many voting centres visited.

***Hoodlums shot policeman , one other, destroy, burn voting materials.

A policeman and one resident of Idanre, were reportedly hit by stray bullets during the election.

Reports had it that the two victims were rushed to the general hospital in the town and currently receiving treatment.

The cause of the shooting could not be ascertained as at the time of filing in this report.

There were also reported cases of snatching of ballot boxes in the area.

The state police spokesperson , Funmi Odunlami, said that “the suspect involved in the shooting at Idanre has been arrested while a pump action with 2 live cartridges were recovered.

In Ute, Ose council area of the state, some thugs reportedly hijacked and destroyed ballot boxes and other voting materials during the election in 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.

Vanguard gathered that the thugs stormed all the nine units to destroy the ballot boxes having realised that their sponsor was loosing the election

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.

Despite the threat, voters were said to have cast their votes for the other political party ,hence the destruction of ballot boxes in the wards at Ute.

A reliable source alleged that some INEC officials were also attacked on their way to the collation center and ballot papers and other election materials destroyed and burnt.

Ondo Speaker, laments low voters turn out,

The Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, David Oleyelogun, lamented low voters turn out during the election.

Oleyelogun, while speaking at his St. Luke’s Primary School, Ward 10, Unit 11, Isarun in Ifedore, council area, said “the turnout is very poor, it is not encouraging has being expected.