Vote Buying, BVA Malfunctioning, Sporadic Shooting, Prevail In Ondo Gov Election

By Ayodele Oni

Voting has ended in the ongoing Governorship election in Ondo state with sorting of votes commenced at the various polling units.

The election commenced on time at virtually all the units with voting commenced as early as 9.00 am amidst tight security.

Reports from various parts of the state indicate that the exercise went on smoothly, except few Centres where transportation caused little delay for the officials to arrive.

Security agents were alert at the various Centres culminating in the arrest of a man with bags containing money in Akure apparently soliciting for votes to buy.

Officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested the man with two Ghana-must-go bags in Akure. He was alleged to be a suspected vote-buyer in the ongoing Ondo governorship election.

The suspect was captured with two bags of money which are suspected to be for the inducement of voters in the election.

He was arrested at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007 outside St. Stephen’s Primary School, Akure, Ondo State around 9 am on election day.

The election started this Saturday morning, November 16, 2024, with heavy security presence consisting of personnel of the DSS, the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) observed at strategic points across the state.

Armed security personnel were observed at strategic points such as the entrance into Akure, the state capital, major towns, the local governments secretariats as well as on major roads in the state.

Another report from a Presiding Officer (PO), Bakare Ronke Mary, at Unit -019, Ward-06, Obadu, Ondo stated that “It happened that a PDP Agent tear the votes cast without the consent of the APC Agent, which the PO objected to.

“The Baale was summoned and the Police officers asked what the PO wanted, which she stated that the election at the center should be canceled or the PDP Agent be removed.”

Though the PDP Agent was arrested, a few minutes later some PDP gangs/thugs showed up and beat up the presiding officers, as well as disrup the election process and destroyed all the election materials, stealing  phones except the BVAS Machine that the PO was able to escape with.

The Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Agboola Ajayi declared that the electoral process was compromised.

He berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for being unable to conduct an election well in just one state, citing failure of BVAS and massive vote-buying by the APC, which have gone unchecked.

He noted, however, that he is confident of victory, calling on Ondo State residents to come out to exercise their franchise without fear.

Ajayi stated this shortly after voting at Apoi Ward 11, Unit 004 at RCM Idumado Quarters Kiribo in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the state.

He said: “The system has been compromised. It’s sad INEC can’t conduct election well in one state. The BVAS aren’t working, it took about 10 minutes to capture me.

“I think it is deliberate on the part of INEC and the REC, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola and we’ve said this several times that the woman can’t be fair.

“I have had a series of complaints from across the state, people are complaining of vote-buying. It is a very shameful exercise.

“But our people must be resolute; come out and vote. We must not give in to the shenanigans of the APC and INEC. We will surely overcome.”

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had earlier voted before 10 o’clock at his ward in Ilaje, expressing satisfaction with the entire process.

There was reported firing of gunshots by some unknown persons at Ofosun Village, an Ondo community at the boundary with Edo State.

The incident, it was learnt, caused panic, forcing people to stay indoors to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

A source in the village, identified simply as Dauda, who spoke on the phone said, “We don’t know who they are but they were firing gunshots into the air in some parts of the village since early morning. Ofosun is an Ondo village close to Benin in Edo State. No casualty, but people in the village are staying indoors.”

It was not immediately clear what could have led to the incident, but the Deputy Governorship candidate of the PDP Festus Akingbaso, while commending voters’ turnout, expressed concerns over the alleged infiltration of some villages under the Idanre Local Government Area by hoodlums.

Akingbaso, who spoke shortly after casting his vote at Imikan Ward 02, Unit 008, Idanre, commended INEC for the timely arrival of voting materials but alleged, “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 Ofosun, Omifunfun and Allah are occupied.

“There is a place called Igbepo where suspected thugs are in their numbers in Idanre Local Government Area. An incident happened in Ofosun where suspected thugs broke into the house of a party member to prevent him from voting. We were informed that there are plans not to allow people in the villages to vote.

“I have reported the matter to the DPO and DSS. To my expectation, the security agencies have not been able to do anything.”

Reacting to the allegation, the Ondo APC spokesperson, Mr Steve Otaloro, absolved his party of involving in any crime and demanded a thorough investigation into the allegations.

He said, “I am in the situation room of APC right now. Let me say first some foremost, the person you mentioned is the deputy governorship candidate of Agboola Ajayi of the PDP. And if you recall PDP had a press conference two days ago alleging the kind of violence that happened in that place was by APC.

“All the places he mentioned, was he on the ground in all those places? He was supposed to be at his polling unit. Even if he was called, he should have done proper diligence to be on the ground.

“They told us there was nothing like that. Voting is going on orderly, if they have any issue with that, they just want to create an issue out of nothing.

“As I speak, no member of our political party is going out to vote as a member, everybody has become electorate. Whatever violence that is happening, they should investigate it properly, but I can assure you it is not from our members.

“How will you infiltrate all those local areas, these are routes and farm settlements? Why will our members infiltrate such places? That is not true.”