Hoodlums disrupted the governorship election in Ondo State by attacking officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Polling Unit 19, Ward 6, Ogbagi Akoko. The attackers destroyed all electoral materials, stole belongings, and physically assaulted the officials.
The Presiding Officer (PO) of the polling unit described the ordeal in a video shared on social media. She said the attack happened shortly after the police arrested a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) agent for tearing votes. In the chaos, her assistant, identified as Bello Samuel, went missing.
Before the attack, the PO had contacted the Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for assistance. Despite these efforts, the hoodlums stormed the polling unit, causing destruction and panic. The PO expressed gratitude for surviving the attack and called it an act of grace.
Narrating what happened, the Presiding Officer said, “As the process of the election was going on, a party agent from PDP tore a vote without my consent. I don’t know his name because he had not indicated his name.
“I was trying to address him but he asked me to do my work. In order to resolve the matter, the Kabiyesi of the community (community leader) came but he (the PDP) agent was trying to tear another vote when the officers (police) at the polling unit called the DPO for his arrest.
“They (police) asked me what I wanted and I said he should be removed or the polling unit should be canceled. Then, he was arrested and the election continued.
“Unaware, we discovered a gang of people parking the election materials and they beat us up – I and my APOs. Even till now, I haven’t seen my APO 1, Bello Samuel by name.
“Our phones have been stolen with our purses, and all the electoral materials have been destroyed except the BVAS which I escaped with.”
This incident raises concerns about the safety of electoral officials and the need for stronger measures to protect the election process. Violence and intimidation during elections undermine democracy and threaten the integrity of the voting system.
Efforts must be made to prevent such incidents and ensure that officials, voters, and materials are adequately protected during elections.
