Violence erupts as ACN wins Ekiti by-election

Posted by admin Ekiti, Headlines Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Despite heavy presence of police and other security operatives, the by-election held on Wednesday in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State to fill the vacant seat of Moba Constituency I at the House of Assembly was marked by electoral malpractices and violence.

The development came just as the Action Congress of Nigeria candidate, Mr. Adeniyi Olatunde, won the poll with 4837 votes.

The Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Gboye Afilaka, scored 2,568 votes while Labour Party candidate,Mr Babatunde Yinka scored 239 votes.

The returning officer, Mr. David Arabambi, who declared the results, said that 25,753 voters registered for the election in the five wards.

The police alone deployed 2,500 men apart from the operatives of State Security Service and Civil Defence to monitor the poll held in 49 polling units in one local government area but their presence could not stop violence and rigging.

An unidentified man was feared killed by mob in Otun-Ekiti while no fewer than three persons were injured.

Journalists witnessed how some persons were mercilessly beaten in Otun-Ekiti.

But the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Mohammed Jimoh, who said that nobody died also told our correspondent on the telephone that nobody was injured; saying that there was no violence throughout the election period.

But the PPRO, said that three persons were arrested, saying that a single barrel pistol and a telephone set fell from one hoodlum who was given a chase by the police.

The Moba Constituency I seat became vacant, following the death of former Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Saliu Adeoti.

The deceased was one of the 13 lawmakers from the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria. Peoples Democratic Party also has 13 members at the Assembly.

The bye-election which was contested by the ACN, PDP and the Labour Party was peaceful when it started in some polling units about 8am.

But, the atmosphere changed as persons suspected to be thugs invaded some units in Osun-Ekiti, and some parts of Otun-Ekiti.

Our correspondent who monitored the election gathered that political thugs dressed in police uniform and armed with guns stormed Unit 001 in Osan Ward and snatched ballot papers and other electoral materials at around 10:am.

The agent of the LP, Mr. Johnson Imole, and the LP collation agent, Chief Segun Akinwumi, blamed the ACN for the brigandage. They said that both the LP and the PDP agents were chased away except the agents of the ACN.

There was heavy presence of armed policemen, operatives of SSS when journalists arrived at the polling unit around 10:35am.

The polling clerk at the unit, Mr. Oluwaseun Adeogun, who spoke with journalists said the hoodlums came, beat the presiding officers and other INEC officials before snatching ballot papers and running away with them.

Former governor, Ayo Fayose, who also monitored the election, said the election was a charade while addressing journalists. He called for the cancellation of the result of the poll, saying the election was openly rigged.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Ishyaku Maigoro, confirmed the hijack of electoral materials to journalists at the scene of the incident. But he said that the election was well conducted generally.

Asked what would be the fate of the areas where violence and rigging were recorded, Maigoro said, “We will do something about it.”

The ACN state Chairman, Chief Jide Awe, who exonerated his party of being involved in electoral malpractices, accused Senator Ayo Arise of coming to the town with mobile policemen with the intention to commit electoral fraud but failed.

Awe, also claimed that“ we led Arise out of the town” to prevent him from perpetrating fraud in the area.

Another ACN chieftain, Chief Akin Olayisade, accused the police of bias. He said that the police scared away ACN supporters by shooting into the air. He also alleged that Arise came to the town with policemen to intimidate and to rig the poll in favour of the PDP candidate.

But Arise, who said he monitored the poll as an accredited observer of the PDP denied the allegations.

He said the ACN supporters pursued him with the intention to kill him.

According to him, “If I brought in a detachment of policemen as they claim there was no way they would get near to me.”

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