At Ikumapayi, near Olodo, about 100 voters were yet to cast their votes as at 6.20pm yesterday. INEC officials resorted to using a generator when it got dark. The election, however, was concluded at 7.00 p.m.
Unlike last Saturday when the streets were deserted, people moved about freely and even some shop owners opened for business.
The late arrival of Independent National Election Commission (INEC) personnel and voting materials, which marked the botched election of last week, did not crop up at all in Saturday's election as INEC personnel arrived early with election materials.
In some polling units in Ibadan South-East and Ibadan North-East local government areas, despite the early arrival of INEC officials and election materials as well as early accreditation of registered voters, ballot papers, which should have been used for voting, were not available. Thus accredited voters waited in vain and were unable to exercise their franchise.
The affected areas were Ward 5 unit 9, Aliwo, Ibadan North-East; Wards 11, 12, 13 of Labiran; and Bode all in Ibadan South-East.
At Lemmy House Units 14 and 15 of Ward 9, Ibadan South-West Local Government, about 270 names were missing.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune, a former governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina, commended the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for being able to correct all the wrongs of the previous election. He also explained that the elections were very peaceful and the process of accreditation faster compared to what happened during the botched election of last week.
The Minister of Sports, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, also commended the election stating that the accreditation started on time and it was crisis-free, adding that the turnout was more impressive than it was last week.
The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, also descibred the election as peaceful because people were accredited on time.
According to him, "the process has been violence-free. Voters have been accredited and are waiting for voting to start."
The gubernatorial candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, also stated that the elections were peaceful and hitchfree, though, he added that there were some areas that were shortchanged with ballot papers, saying that about 31,000 people registered at Itesiwaju Local Government but only 23,000 ballot papers were brought in for the the Senate while 18,000 ballot papers were brought in for the House of Representatives.
Chief Bode Amoo, a leading industrialist, in his remarks explained that the INEC officials arrived on time at Unit 2, Ward 5 Ibadan North Local Government, while accreditation and voting commenced on time, adding that the process was orderly and the people comported themselves properly.
Caretaker chairman of the Ibadan South West Local Government Council, Alhaji Remi Alao, complained that there were some names that were missing and many were disenfranchised because they could not find their names on the list.
Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, caretaker committee chairman, Oluyole Local Government, described the election as very peaceful.
"INEC officials arrived early with their materials. The turnout is quite impressive. This is a proof that the people want to have an input in who leads them," he said.
However, at Ward 5, Unit 10, Akinyele Local government Area of Oyo State, hoodlums shot into the air and snatched the ballot box before votes could be counted.
Akala, Ilaka praise security agencies for peaceful poll
Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala has commended the country's security personnel, saying the security arrangement for the senatorial election was perfect.
He made the commendation while casting his vote, along with his wife, Oluwakemi, on Saturday, at Sabo Taara Ward 10 in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area.
Governor Alao-Akala, who cast his vote at 12:08 pm, also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its ability to conduct a well-organised election.
Saying that the early commencement of the accreditation of voters and voting was cumbersome, he said that the security arrangement was perfectly okay.
Also, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Layiwola Olakojo, commended the security arrangement put in place, saying that the policeman who manned his ward did a thorough job.
Olakojo, who was accredited by 10:00 am at Jabata Ward 7, Unit 7 in Oyo East Local Government Area, said that the activities of the law enforcement agents and INEC officials, as well as the turn out of voters were impressive.
Also, the Accord Party candidate for Oyo Central senatorial election, Chief Bisi Ilaka, said that everything was peaceful as at the time Sunday Tribune visited him at his Ilaka Family House in Oyo.
Contrary to apprehensions expressed about the possibility of a peaceful election, accreditation exercise commenced as early enough at most of the voting centres visited by Sunday Tribune.
Most of the centres also witnessed a large turn out of voters, particularly in areas like HLA Primary School, Oko and Iresa Market.
At Townhall Ward 8, Units 7 and 8, Oko, Honourable Segun Odebunmi, the PDP candidate for House of Representatives, representing the Surulere/Ogo-Oluwa Federal Constituency, said that the accreditation exercise was peaceful.
Accreditation started by 8:00 am at Unit 13, Oja-Oke, Operinde Market, Ilora and at Oja-Oke Phase 2.
The same situation was obtained at most of the voting centres in Ogbomoso, including Arowomole, Masifa, Ajaawa and Sabo Taara.
...As Ladoja commends military for decorum
The former governor and governorship candidate of Accord Party in Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has commended the security agencies including the military personnel for ensuring the peaceful conduct of the National Assembly election.
The former governor while speaking with news
men after casting his vote at exactly 12.10 pm at a polling center in Ondo Street, Bodija, Ibadan said that the security agencies had been able to tell the whole world that Nigeria has the capability of conducting peaceful election.
He however expressed dismay as some state government agencies were being used to cause insecurity in some parts of the state during the election.
According to him, some government officials, especially the council chairmen had been going about with thugs to prevent voters from performing their civic responsibility.
He said based on reports from the field, members of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were used to terrorize the people at the polling centers.
He said that for instance at the Ibadan North East Local Government secretariat, voters were sent away by the hoodlums.
While saying that the election had been peaceful, he said people decided to come out because they had the opportunity to participate, adding that it would be difficult to rig the election because people voted at the same time, hence hoodlums would not be going from one polling center to the other to disrupt the election.
Though, a few eligible voters in some units complained that their names were not found on the register in the wards where they registered, investigation by our reporter showed that such cases were reduced to the barest minimum.
For example, as against what occurred in Ward 10, units 29 and 30, at Youth Centre, Ososami Street, Oke-Ado, where 147 and 600 respectively registered, but only seven and 20 people respectively found their names on the registers, accreditation had been fully completed at about 12. 20 p.m., when Sunday Tribune visited.
In Ward 9, units 32, 33, 34 and 35 within the Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School compound in Ososami, electorate queued peacefully, got accredited, waited till the commencement of balloting and voted. There was also peaceful conduct of the exercise in units 38, 39 and 40 of Ward 9 at Oke-Ado visited by our reporter.
3 arrested for electoral fraud
Three people were on Saturday in Ibadan arrested for allegedly being in possession of charms and 10 voter cards with a view to disrupting the National Assembly election.
One of the suspects was arrested with 10 voter cards, another one with charms and the last person with an identity card which indicated that he works at the government secretariat.
They had stormed the Bashorun Ogunmola High School, Ring Road in a Ford vehicle with the registration number XY479 EKY to disrupt election exercise in the polling centers.
They were, however, unlucky when policemen, led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, stopped them and ordered that they should be searched.
When Sunday Tribune visited the polling center, the vehicle was seen with doors opened.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Olatunji Ajimuda, said the man was arrested.
In Ibadan North Local Government Area of the state, accreditation started in time and at exactly 12 noon, election began.
Initially, the people did not come out at old Bodija Housing Estate and at the University of Ibadan until INEC started appealing that people should come out.
In Ibadan North West, Oluyole, and Akinyele, things were not the same as many people were disenfranchised as they could not find their names on the voter register, non arrival of election materials and the presence of state agencies were preventing people to vote.
At Bode Wasimi in Basorun area, at wards 18,19, and 20, there was report that those whose names were at the voter registers were not allowed to cast their votes, as people were brought in through the back door to cast their votes.
In some local government areas, INEC had to intervene by the introduction of the manual registers which gave the eligible voters the opportunity to perform their civic responsibility.
...Another 2 arrested for possessing thumbprinted ballot papers
A man and the driver of the vehicle he was in were arrested in Ogbomoso on Saturday when almost 400 thumbprinted ballot papers were found with them.
The men were apprehended during stop-and-search by policemen patrolling the area to monitor compliance with the movement of restriction order.
The arrested man, whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of this report was said to have told the police that the ballot papers were those used during April 2 election before the postponement.
When contacted, INEC officials in Ogbomoso South Local Government identified the arrested men as staff of the Commission, saying that the thumprinted ballot papers were mistakenly packed with ballot papers meant for use during Saturday's election.
In the same vein, three men were arrested at Iwo Road in Ibadan for being in possession of one pump action rifle with 24 live catridges and charms.
Heads of security agencies in Oyo State, led by the Commissioner of Police, Barrister Saliu Hashimu, went round senatorial districts in Oyo, Ogbomoso and Ibadan metropolis to monitor how the conduct of the election was going on.
At Ward 2, Unit 11 in Kajola area of Ogbomoso, voters who spoke with the Commissioner of Police told him that everything was peaceful and they were all duly accredited.
However, there was still a very long queue at Ward 2, Unit 12 as at 12noon, as voters complained that the INEC officials were yet to conclude accreditation when the convoy of the heads of security agencies got there.
At Ward 11, Unit 23 Idi Ape area of Ibadan, voters complained of the disappearance of the electoral officer and the supervisor of the unit immediately after accreditation, saying that they had been waiting to vote but ballot papers were not brought by the supervisor who also refused to pick calls when calls were put through to her line.
Same thing was reported at Units 24,25,8,9,10,11,12,13 of the same ward under the supervision of the same electoral officer before the ballot papers and result sheets were eventually brought at 3.05p.m. while the Commissioner of Police and others were still at the polling centre.
Barrister Hashimu ordered the Area Commander in charge, Mrs Abiodun Ige, to bring the electoral officer, Mr Ezekiel Oyewale and the female supervisor, whose name was unknown, to his office after the election to explain what caused the delay.
The House of Representatives' candidate for All Nigeria's Peoples Party (ANPP) in Oyo Central Federal Constituency, Mr Seyi Obitade was arrested at Idi ayunre in Oluyole Local Government Area for moving around polling booths in the area and canvassing for votes.
Electorate complain of non-availability of ballot papers in Ibarapa
Accreditation of voters commenced as early as 8.00 a.m on Saturday morning in Lanlate and other areas of Ibarapa for the National Assembly election, with voters on queue ready for the exercise, though in many places visited, complaints of non-availability of ballot papers for senatorial election persisted.
This, coupled with the unexpected cancellation of the exercise last week, resulted in low turnout of voters initially in the morning. Some of the people who spoke with Sunday Tribune were reluctant to come out to vote, thinking the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, could repeat the same announcement of last week coupled with the fact that the electoral body did not hold election in some areas of the country.
Aside the apathy on the part of the voters, the election was generally peaceful and the voters were orderly as they performed their civic rights. However, many politicians spoken with expressed divergent opinions on the turnout, as many argued that there was improved turnout, while others said there was low turnout.
The presence of security men helped to ensure orderliness as witnessed in the area, as they were on patrol, conducting a stop and search operation on the few vehicles plying the roads. At Molete, Idere, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state, army personnel apprehended a man with charms disturbing the peace in the area and was handed over to the police for interrogation.
Some of the politicians spoken with by the Sunday Tribune, including an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain, Dr Adebayo Adewusi, member, House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency who is also the Accord Party House of Representative candidate, Honourable Oluyemi Taiwo, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate, Honourable Oladimeji Oladapo and the state Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Majekodunmi Aborode, said INEC had started on a good note, adding that the commission could improve on its current ratings.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune, INEC officials at Eruwa, Ibarapa East Local Government Area of the state, when the report of non-availability of some elections materials reached them, said they would make the materials available before the election, adding that last week's postponement had affected both the INEC officials as well as the voters.
By 6.00 p.m when Sunday Tribune visited Ward 4, Unit 5, Idi-Igbaro, Eleyele, Ido-Eruwa Road of Ido Local Government Area of the state, voting was going on, with many voters yet to vote. Some of the voters, who spoke with Sunday Tribune, complained of inadequate personnel and voting materials, calling on INEC to make available more personnel for the unit in subsequent elections.
Election peaceful in Oke Ogun
The Senate and House of Representatives election in Oke Ogun Area of Oyo State which held on Saturday was generally peaceful.
At Iseyin, Saki, Otu, Okaka, Igbojaye and other neighbouring towns in the area, where Sunday Tribune visited, election started as scheduled and ended as expected.
What would have resulted into crisis at Ward 7, Oje Owode area of Atisbo Local Government was quickly brought under control by INEC presiding officers, when party agents moved against accreditation of some elector...
Source: Clic the link below»
http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/news/3620-oyo-missing-names-non-availability-of-materials-dog-election
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