Osun rerun: Sporadic shootings, vote buying mar election

As electorate throng the four local governments of Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North and Ife South to participate in the rerun election slated for Thursday, sporadic shootings and vote buying have obviously marred the process.

At ward 5, unit 17, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, many of the voters were chased away by hoodlums suspected to be working for a political party as they continued to shoot sporadically.

The intervention of military personnel eventually calmed the tensed atmosphere and normalcy was restored.

Also, many of the voters at Orolu were prevented by political thugs from assessing the three polling units in the local government.

The police eventually called for more reinforcement to ameliorate the situation and doused tension.

Meanwhile, The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), agent was noticeably missing at Adereti Village, Ward 7, Unit 12, in Ife South local government, as vote buying and selling visibly dominated the voting environment.

An official of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Mr Stephen Oyewande, who is the deputy director, Voters Education, when asked why PDP was missing, said: “Call the state chairman of the party why his party agent is not here. I can’t explain why he is not here.”

However, Lateef Abimbola of All Progressives Congress (APC), Olaiya Yemi of All Peoples Alliance, (APA), Rasheed Mojeed of Advance Congress of Democrat, (ADC), Adeyemo Gafar of Action Democratic Party, (ADP) and Bayo Shittu of Social Democratic Party (SDP), were present at the polling centre.

Also, some serving Commissioners and Special Advisers of Osun state government were sighted in the polling centre.

Security around the polling unit was water-tight, even as Ife/Ondo road was partially blocked to traffic.

Though they were later allowed to move, many commuters, especially those moving towards Ondo end of Ife/Ondo road, were stranded for some hours owing to roadblock mounted by the soldiers on election duty.

Speaking to newsmen, Supervisory Presiding Officer, Femi Kuku, said the exercise was going on well without hitch.

However, an unconfirmed report has it that PDP agent, as well as some supporters of the party, were chased out the polling unit.