Ondo west local government election which ought to be peaceful has been allegedly hijacked and distorted by political thugs suspected to be from the ruling opposition in the state. The electoral malfeasance was allegedly perpetrated under the covers of Ondo police command today across various wards and units in the local government.
Voters turnout in Mass to vote their candidate of choice but were prevented and subsequently disenfranchised by activities od hoodlums as sporadic gunshots were heard in unit 6,7,26 of ward 7.
In some wards, the political Miscreants drove in with picnic, plate number: to snatch ballot boxes, no less than 50 ballots boxes were snatched as citizens could not perform their civic right today.
One of the eyewitnesses, Mr Akin James, who spoke to our correspondent, said: “the election did not take place in Ondo West local government today as members of the public sustain injuries in unit 5 and 6 wards 7 as they were chased away by hoodlums who prevented them from performing their civic right.”
ADC party chairman, Pastor Adegoke Raphael Olademiji and ADC chairmanship candidate have both condemned today’s activities saying their party members were threatened and injured.
African Democratic Congress chairmanship candidate Dr Felix Akinola said, “I condemned the total election process that took place in Ondo West local government as APC hoodlums conspire with ODEIC to snatch ballots boxes and denying people of their civic right.”
The ADC candidate demands cancellation of the election in its totality, saying, “there was no free and fair election in the local government chairmanship election held today,” He, therefore, called for a rerun of the election under the strict supervision of the military as Policemen does not have the right credential to protect the right of the citizenry as they have displayed siege against the will of the people today.
However, the party chairman in a statement released to newsmen in one of the polling units said ADC completely condemns the subversive act by policemen and ODEIC who were alleged to have protected hoodlums in snatching of ballots boxes in various wards.
He, therefore, called on all lovers of democracy to unite against the “brazen attack” on Nigeria’s democracy, saying such barefaced “assault is only akin to the destruction of human rights and should not be allowed to stand”.
He said that Nigerians and Ondo residents watched in bewilderment as police and ODEIC officials in the company of alleged All Progressives Congress thugs, invaded polling units in the local government unleashed violence on voters, disrupted polling processes and hauled away electoral materials.
Meanwhile, we are yet to hear from ODEIC and the police area command as they are yet to grant any interview during the period of filing this report.