By: Ade Adeleke
Commercial activities paralysed today and security beefed up while INEC officials are commended for conducting largely hitch-free House of representatives bye-election conducted to fill the vacant seat of Akoko Northeast/Northwest federal constituency of Ondo State.
SUNSHINETRUTH News reporter who monitored the exercise on Saturday, observed that election materials, INEC officials and security agents arrived at various polling units in the 23 wards on time while turnout of voters was encouraging but not as high as that of the last general election.
Speaking with newsmen after casting his vote at Unit 2, Oyin/Oge Ward 4 of Akoko Northwest, the APC Candidate in the election, Hon. Ifeoluwa Ehindero expressed satisfaction with the electoral process, while his PDP opponent, Hon. Lekan Bada Who voted at unit 12, Ward one of Akoko Northeast, said the security arrangement and voting process were satisfactory.
Other political stakeholders who spoke with our Radio Nigeria, including the Ondo State Commissioner-nominee, Mr Oyeniyi Oseni; Mr Rasheed Elegbeleye and Mr Muyiwa Asagunla, commended INEC and security agencies for ensuring a peaceful exercise.
The House of Reps seat for Akoko North federal constituency became vacant following the appointment of Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as the Minister of Interior who held the position before.
Ehindero said, “So far, by my personal assessment, the process has been very calm and peaceful. There hasn’t been any negative report from anywhere and I am hoping that it will continue like this. We’ve been monitoring all polling units across the 23 wards and 329 polling units in this federal constituency and we’ve not heard any negative report so far.
“Usually, during by-elections, the turnout is always low, compared to the general elections, so, we expected that it won’t be as much as that of the general election.
“The reports we are hearing show that the people are happy, and I am optimistic that it’s going to be a landslide victory.
“The security agencies have been of good conduct so far. At my polling unit, security men have been professional and they hasn’t been any report of security breaches across the wards.
“The voting materials arrived on time. the INEC officials arrived on time and I believe same thing has been happening across the polling units. Personally, I feel INEC was well prepared for this election,” Ehindero said.
Hon. Lekan Bada said, “where I voted in Ward 01, Unit 12 in Ikare-Akoko is very peaceful. I voted around 10:00 a.m., and voting had been going on smoothly. The security arrangement was perfect.
“Due to the rotational agreement, it is the turn of Akoko North-East. If it goes to the North-West, it will take 11 years to come back to the North-East. So, I have the advantage,” Bada said.
A Commissioner-nominee in Ondo State, Hon. Oyeniyi Oseni, at his voting Unit 1 Iyometa Ward 2, Ikare Akoko, said the bye-election was largely peaceful and hitch-free in most parts of the constituency, expressing optimism that the APC Candidate will win the contest.
Oyeniyi Oseni said, “We really campaigned vigorously, from the unit level to the local government level. We did a very good job to convince people to vote for APC and that is why we are seeing large turnout today and I am not surprised about it because if you know what you’ve done to mobilize the people.
“You should be confident that your people are with you and will vote to support our candidate. So, I think we are good.”
Also speaking with newsmen after casting his votes at his unit 7 in Ward 3 Okeagbe Akoko, a Chieftain of the APC, Hon. Olumuyiwa Asagunla expressed satisfaction with turnout of voters in the town and other parts of the federal constituency.
The Chairman, APC Campaign Council in the constituency, Asagunla, said that INEC officials had been up and doing.
Asagunla, said that he was impressed with the conduct of the election and voter turnout
On his part, a former Minority leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly and Chieftain of the PDP in Ikare Akoko, Hon. Rasheed Elegbeleye, expressed delight with timely arrival of INEC officials at his polling unit in the town.
Commenting on the election, the state chairman of the APC, Engineer Ade Adetimehin, commended the party members, INEC and security operatives for their conduct during the election.
Adetimehin was optimistic that the party’s candidate, lfe Ehindero, would win the election landslide.
He said that under his chairmanship,the party has harvest chieftains of the opposition parties and would continue to deplete their camps.
“We’ve been able to hold the party together and by the special grace of God, we’ll coast home to victory in the November governorship election.”
Meanwhile, INEC has lauded the turnout of voters in the by-election for Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West Federal constituency in Ondo State.
Voting was disrupted on Saturday in the Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West Federal constituency bye-election at Unit 5, Ward 13 in Oyinmo, Ikare-Akoko, when suspected political thugs snatched the ballot box.
Eyewitnesses told journalists that the attack by the hoodlums caused panic with many voters taking to their heels.
An eyewitness, who did not want his name in print, said that the attack occured just before noon after not less than 63 people had cast their votes.
He explained that the hoodlums caused some commotion while security personnel at the polling unit were trying to restore peace and order, one of them snatched the ballot box and fled the scene.
The eyewitness said that though the hoodlums made away with the ballot box, the result sheet, BVAS machine and other materials were not taken.
It was gathered that 407 voters were registered at the polling unit for the election.
Meanwhile, INEC has lauded the turnout of voters in the election for Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West federal constituency in the State.
The National Commissioner supervising Osun, Ogun and Ondo, Osun and Ogun States, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, gave the commendation in an interview with newsmen at Okeagbe in Akoko North-West LGA, after monitoring election.
“From what we have observed since morning, the election is going on peacefully, and the turnout is impressive, no violence, no vote buying anywhere.
“So, we have not recorded any terrible incident since the start of the election and by grace of God everything will end peacefully
“Everywhere we have been to, there was no report of challenges with the BVAS machine or cases of it malfunctioning,” he said.
Commenting on the incident of ballot box snatching at the Unit 5, Ward 13, Oyinmo, Ikare-Akoko, the national commissioner said that the situation had been restored to normalcy.
“Is normal that miscreants will remain miscreants, they attempted to disturb the election there but the police over powered them and we have restored everything to order and no other incident apart from that.”