Council poll: Many injured, vehicles burnt as violence rocks Ondo

There was violence in Ayede/Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area, Ondo State during the local government election on Saturday.

Miscreants suspected to be political thugs and brandishing cutlasses and wooden sticks were sighted molesting residents.

Chief Oladimeji Abidogun, a community leader, said that the violence was a result of the show of strength between rival parties.

”It is a test of strength between two political parties, APC and SDP, on the ballot for the councillorship slot in the local council.

” The APC loyalists in the community are alleging that about 15 unknown individuals with ribbons tied round their necks, who are suspected to be cultists, snatched ballot boxes in some polling centres,” he said

Abidogun, the Editor-in-Chief of Sharpedge News, said that the community would not accept the outcome of the poll as it was marred by violence.

“The position of the community leaders is that whoever that is emerging in this contest cannot serve the community as we don’t want anybody to benefit from fraud and violence.

” We need to use this as a litmus test for discouraging electoral violence. Everybody is on edge and mobilising. The community must be defended.

” This is a small community and everybody is coming out, house to house, door to door to defend the community,” he stated.

Commenting on the seeming reluctance of the police to intervene in the matter, the community leader explained that it could be out of caution, considering the volatile situation.

”If they act, they will be accused of being trigger-happy and it can also lead to complete breakdown of law and order as well as semblance of anarchy.

” They tried to protect the ballot boxes and people are saying they must also protect lives and property,” he said.
There was also crisis in Idanre as suspected thugs stormed polling booths to snatch ballot boxes.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state decried the conduct of the council poll, saying the exercise was marred by impunity, brigandage and violence.

The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Kennedy Peretei, made the allegation in a statement in Akure.

Peretei claimed that reports from the PDP Situation Room across the 18 local government areas of the state had proved that the party took a wise decision in boycotting the election.

“About 24 hours before the polls, some thugs had unleashed violence on opposition parties in Ondo town, Idanre and Owo that attempted to participate in the elections.

“In thousands of polling units, neither voting materials nor ODIEC personnel were seen about noon on election day. Where they were seen, ballot papers were in short supply,” he alleged.

A violent clash ensued at the Yaba Area of Ondo town between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Many voters, including a popular grassroots mobiliser, Bonsue, were injured.
No fewer than 15 vehicles were vandalised in the clash.

The crisis, which started on Thursday, also manifested on Saturday.
A resident, Femi Taiwo, said: “This is no election at all. Let Akeredolu (Governor) just announce names of his party members as winners. There is big crisis in the country”.