Anxiety is mounting in Ondo State as residents eagerly await the results of the governorship election held on Saturday. The atmosphere across the state is filled with tension as political parties, candidates, and voters alike hold their breath, hoping for a smooth and fair outcome.
Sunday Tribune gathered that many are concerned about the integrity of the process, with allegations of irregularities such as vote-buying and malfunctioning BVAS machines already being raised by opposition parties.
With the election results still pending, the mood is a mix of anticipation and uncertainty as the people of Ondo await the final word from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Some of the politicians in the state on Sunday showed that the people were expectant of timely release of the results by INEC.
While speaking, former Speaker of House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, expressed optimism that the ruling All Progressives Congress will win the election.
“Our expectations is that we knew we will win the election and our win now surpasses my own expectations because in the history of election in the state this is the best result ever gotten by any political party.
“This is because of the unity within the party. APC is united and APC has never been this united and we are assuring the people of the state an all-inclusive government in order to movethe state forward.
“Everybody will be part of this government, no single individual will be left behind, this is collective victory, collective work, and we are going to run a collective government.”
Also, a PDP Chieftain who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “We are studying the situation and this is not the time to express our expectations.
“We are only waiting for INEC to announce the final result. We have done own part, but the authorised body has to announce the outcome for us to know the next step.”
However, a resident of Akure said “We are eager to hear the final result, we want to be sure that what has been released at the units and ward levels really counted.
“We are calm and eagerly anxious to see the end of the process and that is by hearing the final results. The process has been peaceful and we thank God that the election ended without serious crisis.
Meanwhile, with results from unverified platform, the candidate of APC, Aiyedatiwa is said to be comfortably leading the PDP candidate with over 120,000 votes.
Election heavily militarised, Ondo North residents express concerns
The heavy deployment of military personnel across major highways in Ondo North Senatorial District created palpable tension during the election, with roadblocks disrupting free movement and raising concerns among residents.
Reports indicated that the military’s strict enforcement of movement restrictions added to the already charged atmosphere. At various checkpoints, military officers reportedly hindered the free flow of people and vehicles, including accredited journalists, election observers, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials.
These restrictions created significant challenges for stakeholders monitoring the electoral process. In Owo, a prominent military outpost became a focal point of the issue. Military personnel were observed directing individuals to clear barricades only after extensive verification under a nearby shed. This process caused considerable delays and frustration among road users.
A similar situation unfolded in the Akoko area, where journalists and other election participants experienced prolonged delays at checkpoints. These hold-ups impeded their ability to carry out their duties effectively.
Between Owo and Ikare Akoko, no fewer than 18 military checkpoints were established, with officers conducting rigorous searches and occasionally turning people back. Residents described the security measures as excessive, expressing concern that they discouraged voters from exercising their civic rights.
Some residnets who spoke to our correspondent described the atmosphere as intimidating. “The election was heavily militarised, and it discouraged many people from coming out to vote,” a resident lamented.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ajayi, also weighed in on the situation. While he acknowledged that the security situation in his community was relatively peaceful, he criticised the disproportionate deployment of military personnel in his area.
“I will take it up with the brigade commander,” Ajayi stated, expressing dissatisfaction with the arrangement.
The heavy militarisation of the election sparked debates about the balance between ensuring security and creating an environment conducive to free and fair participation. For many in Ondo North, the question remained whether these measures were necessary or an overreach that stifled democracy.
“They can’t be intimidating the voters. How do you station seven to 10 armed soldiers very close to my polling unit; we are not at war here. On the voters turn out, despite the intimidation, people were willing to vote because they are frustrated already with things in the state and the country.”
However, the electoral body received commendation for the early arrival of voting materials and officials at polling units.
Voters in Ondo North senatorial district were thrilled by early arrival of materials and the electoral officials expressed satisfaction with the early arrival of officials and materials
According to an 86-year-old Pa Joseph Awuyo, who spoke to our correspondent, said officials and materials arrived before 7a:m and he was pleased with the arrangement of the process.
“The INEC officials arrived before 7 am and we only waited for the process to commence. I came out early because of my challenge; I can’t walk and I am having issues with my sight. It was good and smooth.” He stated.
An INEC official who didn’t mention her name said the process was seamless as they had no issues with network failures and all machines were working perfectly.
Sporadic shooting disrupts voting in Ofosu community
Though the election was largely peaceful, a violent incident was reported in Ofosu, a boundary community between Ondo and Edo states, where hoodlums suspected to be political thugs fired sporadic gunshots. The attack created panic among voters and residents, forcing many to abandon polling units and retreat to their homes.
Eyewitnesses described the situation as tense, with residents afraid of being hit by stray bullets. Ofosu quickly turned into a ghost town as people stayed indoors following the disruption of the voting process.
A resident identified as Dauda shared his account of the incident via phone, stating, “We don’t know who they are, but they were firing gunshots into the air in some parts of the village since early morning. Ofosu is an Ondo village close to Benin in Edo State. No casualty, but people in the village are staying indoors.”
The cause of the violence remains unclear, but the Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Festus Akingbaso, expressed concerns over the alleged infiltration of thugs in several villages. Speaking after casting his vote at Imikan Ward 02, Unit 008, Idanre, Akingbaso praised INEC for the timely arrival of materials but raised alarms about the security situation.
“Information reaching me is that majority of the villages are filled with thugs allegedly brought in by the APC. At the moment, all the villages are occupied with thugs. Villages like Osun, Omifunfun, and Allah are occupied.
“There is a place called Igbepo where suspected thugs are in their numbers in Idanre Local Government Area. An incident happened in Ofosu where suspected thugs broke into the house of a party member to prevent him from voting. We were informed that there are plans not to allow people in the villages to vote.
“I have reported the matter to the DPO and DSS. To my expectation, the security agencies have not been able to do anything,” he alleged.
Responding to the allegations, the Ondo APC spokesperson, Mr. Steve Otaloro, denied his party’s involvement and called for a thorough investigation.
He said, “I am in the situation room of APC right now. Let me say first and foremost, the person you mentioned is the deputy governorship candidate of Agboola Ajayi of the PDP.
“And if you recall, the PDP held a press conference two days ago alleging the kind of violence that happened in that place was by APC.
“All the places he mentioned—was he on the ground in all those places? He was supposed to be at his polling unit. Even if he was called, he should have done proper diligence to be on the ground.
“They told us there was nothing like that. Voting is going on orderly. If they have any issue with that, they just want to create an issue out of nothing.
“As I speak, no member of our political party is going out to vote as a member; everybody has become an electorate. Whatever violence that is happening, they should investigate it properly, but I can assure you it is not from our members.
“How will you infiltrate all those local areas—these are routes and farm settlements? Why will our members infiltrate such places? That is not true.
“More often than not, maybe their plans were burst, and that was why he is coming up with this allegation. Since morning, this election has started peacefully; they should allow it to end peacefully.
“We, as a political party, are committed to peace, and we have told our people to allow peace to reign in all their activities in the course of this election.”
When contacted, the State Police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, said she was in transit and had not received a formal report of the incident. However, she promised to follow up and provide updates later.
Vote buying allegations surface across Ondo State
Incidents of vote buying were reported across the state, with no political party exempt from the practice. All parties participating in the election were allegedly involved in the commercialisation of votes, raising concerns about the integrity of the process.
In some areas of Ikare Akoko, voters were allegedly induced with money by political party agents, who promised to secure votes for their respective candidates. Voters were seen openly displaying their ballots to agents stationed at strategic locations to confirm their voting preferences.
At various polling centers, political agents from different parties appeared to cooperate, with canvassers moving around, offering money to sway voters. The cash distributed reportedly ranged from N20,000 to N40,000, depending on the bargaining power of the voters.
Rasheed Elegbeleye, a former member of the State House of Assembly, who represented Akoko North East in the state legislature, confirmed the occurrence of vote buying in his area.
After voting at his Ward 01, Unit 10, in Ikare-Akoko, he said, “There was no case of snatching of ballot boxes like we used to experience in previous elections, but in this election, we saw vote buying by the APC. They were buying votes for N15,000 per vote, and you know PDP doesn’t have such money. PDP can’t even offer N2,000.”
Dr. Eddy Olafeso, the Director General of the PDP campaign council for the election accused the APC of engaging in vote buying at his polling unit, offering N10,000 per voter.
Speaking after voting at his polling unit 005, Olumekun compound, Ward 12, Idepe, in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Olafeso said the election had been peaceful in his area but expressed concerns about the influence of money in the process.
“We have been here around 8 a.m., and everything appears to be in line with the electoral law, especially in the area where I voted. But our fear is the APC, which has not done anything for the people in the last four years, is now corrupting the process by paying N10,000 to each voter. We have witnessed it here and we have complained, but it seems intractable,” Olafeso said.
He added, “For us, no matter the kind of profligacy they are introducing into the electoral process, truth will prevail in the final analysis. Voting is just the first stage, and we are waiting for it to be uploaded into IREV. We are also waiting to ensure everything is appropriately recorded, from E8CA onwards.”
Olafeso also expressed concern over the potential entrenchment of vote buying into Nigeria’s electoral culture, saying, “The only fear is the vote buying the APC is trying to entrench into the culture of voting in Nigeria.”
However, former House of Representatives member and Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye, described the election as peaceful, noting, “It was peaceful, without rancor, and the turnout was massive. The voters came early.”
On the issue of vote buying, Elegbeleye firmly denied its occurrence in his unit, stating, “There is no vote buying in this unit; people are voting according to their conscience. Votes here are not for sale. So they vote according to the choice of candidate they want to vote for. No inducement. If anybody should be giving, I think it should be me, but I’m not giving it to anybody.”
In major polling units in Ondo South Senatorial district, there was voter apathy with many of the registered electorate staying away from the exercise.
Investigations revealed that the biting economic situations in the country especially the cost of transportation and food items, made a lot of voters stayed away from the election.
Also, the many of the people interviewed by our correspondent lamented that the build-up to the election and the candidates of the major political parties made many of the people not show interest in the election.
Confirming the commercialisation of votes, Centre for Democracy and Development and Yiaga Africa has disclosed that reports from its observers monitoring the governorship election indicated vote buying in several polling units across the state, noting that it has become a permanent feature of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Speaking at a press briefing in Akure on Saturday, the Chairman of the 2024 Ondo Election Mission, Ezenwa Nwagwu, said political parties and candidates should be held accountable for the negative trends observed in the country’s elections.
Nwagwu who said political parties could not distance themselves from the persistent issue of vote buying that continued to mar the electoral processes, commended the Department of State Security (DSS) for apprehending a man allegedly involved in vote buying at St. Stephen Polling Unit in Ward 4, Akure.
Also, speaking, the leader of CDD election mission, Professor Victor Adetula, said tensions flared in many polling units over a requirement for voters to display their choices publicly before casting their ballots
Adetula listed the local government where vote buying occurred including Okitipupa, Ese-Odo, Irele, Ondo West, Akure North, Odigbo and Akoko South East.
“We also note extensive instances of voters marking ballots, agents distributing money and brazen attempts to suppress voters in certain parts of the state. Perhaps most worryingly, a large number of our observers note low voter turnout and polling units being able to close early.
“CDD commends voters in Ondo for the calm and peaceful manner in which they have conducted all through this process so far. We urge all stakeholders in the electoral process to ensure adherence to the rule of law and due process as the election, collation and declaration of results leads to the point of conclusion.”
Aiyedatiwa expresses confidence of winning
Ondo State governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, expressed confidence that he would emerge victorious.
Speaking to newsmen after casting his vote at Unit 5, Ward 4, Obenla community in Ilaje Local Government Area, Aiyedatiwa emphasised that he was the only candidate who campaigned extensively across the state. He believed the people had listened to him and expected them to reflect the same enthusiasm they showed during the campaign in their votes.
“I am here at Obela community at Unit 05. It has been calm and peaceful. The turnout is encouraging. I expect the same situation at other locations. I believe it should be peaceful in other locations. The people will comport themselves,” Aiyedatiwa said.
“We are peaceful in Ondo. We have been having our elections in a peaceful environment. The citizens are law-abiding. I believe the election will be peaceful and credible. I urged the people to go out and vote. They should go out and vote. I believe with what we have done in the last 10 months, the voters know who they want.”
“I am at an advantage to win because of the work I have done in the last 10 months. I was the only candidate that covered the entire state. I felt the people, I listened to them, and the people were excited at my appearance. I believe they will translate the love to vote today,” he added.
However, his opponent, Agboola Ajayi, expressed displeasure over the conduct of the election, alleging gross irregularities. He raised concerns about the extensive security presence in his community, claiming that the combined forces of the police, military, and DSS were not for the benefit of the people.
“The system is not perfect, things are not working, and it took more than 10 minutes before the BVAS could accredit me as the candidate of the PDP. There are lots of complaints here and there across the state,” Ajayi said.
He added, “If INEC cannot successfully organize an election in just one state, then you must know that we are running into anarchy in Nigeria. I have been getting reports across the state, and it is the same, including me—I am a victim here in my unit. I want to say it is deliberate on the part of the REC and INEC, and don’t forget we have said earlier that we don’t trust Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, who is the REC; she can’t be fair.”
Ajayi continued, “The system is compromised, and there are complaints everywhere in the state, including vote-buying, BVAS not working, and don’t forget the machine is a rigging tool for them. It is a very shameful exercise, and I think Nigerians should just call on INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu. If he can’t do the job, he should honorably resign because the system is totally compromised. This is sad.”
“Under Professor Jega as INEC chairman, our electoral process was getting to that international standard, but Professor Yakubu has drawn us back. This is sad, and Nigerians are not happy,” Ajayi added. He accused INEC and security agencies of compromising the election in favor of the APC candidate, and he also described the election as “a synchronized attempt to murder the democratic process.” However, the PDP candidate won his polling unit.
Interior Minister, Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, expressed satisfaction with the election process after voting at his Ward 03, Unit 17, Court Hall/Igafo/Araoye in Akoko North West Local Government Area. He commended INEC for arriving early and noted, “Akoko North West is never a troublesome place. In the 2023 election, there was no cancellation of any polling unit. In the 2024 by-election, there was none. In 2019, there was none. So, we are peaceful people; we believe in democratic tenets. We allow people to come and cast their votes. You can see that the atmosphere is calm; it’s more of celebration.”
“INEC has been fantastic because so far, I got calls as early as 7 a.m. that they were already in the polling unit. So, the preparedness seems to be top-notch,” Tunji-Ojo added.
Former House of Representatives member representing Akoko South West/North East, Hon. Ade Adeogun, also praised the election process, predicting a win for Aiyedatiwa.
“The problem we had here is with BVAS, which caused delays in this unit, and a lot of older voters couldn’t be accredited, so it caused a lot of frustration. We have a lot of older people here. If you look at that woman sitting there now, she’s been here since morning, and she hasn’t been able to vote. About ten of them, their cards are correct, everything is correct, but the system won’t capture it. They refused to leave because they felt they couldn’t explain why they registered but couldn’t vote,” Adeogun explained.
He added, “You know, it’s difficult to understand why they registered and cannot vote. So, I was persuading them, hoping they could try again before the close of voting to see if it could work. Outside those minor issues, it’s been pretty smooth.”
Adeogun also praised the overall conduct of voters and security personnel, describing the election as generally peaceful.
“The challenge with INEC is that they need to upgrade the BVAS technology. Identity management has progressed beyond what BVAS is producing now because if you have a system that can’t operate when it’s a bit dark or when the cloud is low, then you’re way behind time,” he said.
“So, we think that in subsequent elections, at least before the 2027 general election, they need to update the software for the BVAS, and they need to work on that to speed up the process and make the system smoother.”
The lawmaker representing Irele/Okitipupa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Jimi Odimayo, also commended INEC for the peaceful conduct of the election, following his vote at Legumare Unit 001, Anglican Primary School, Ward 3, Irele, in Irele Local Government Area.
The chairman House Committee on Population said, ” So far, it has been peaceful and our people are conducting themselves and very enthusiastic about the election.
” Let me give it to INEC going by what I witnessed today, the commission has improved tremendously. The process was seamless, it took me just about two minutes for the BVAS machine to accredit me before voting. We will urge the electoral commission to improve on the Ondo election.
The Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial district, Jimoh Ibrahim has described Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo state as free, fair and credible.
APC NWC commends INEC over exercise
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) and the security agencies for the smooth conduct of the Ondo State governorship election.
This remark was made by the APC deputy national chairman-North, Honourable (Dr) Ali Dalori, who was part of the NWC team, led by the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who had arrived at the Ondo State, capital on Wednesday in solidarity with their state counterparts toward securing victory for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the APC candidate in the election.
In a release made available to journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital by Dalori’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Honourable Yemi Akinbode, Dalori commended INEC for its good performance in ensuring a hitch-free election. “The NWC wishes to commend INEC and all the security agencies for the excellent job they did in Ondo State. Before the election, the public were worried about the peculiar nature of the politics in Ondo State. They were in doubt of what to expect, because people were remembered about the 1983 election violence which rocked the old Ondo state, which was part of the reason for the military coup that brought Major General Mohammadu Buhari
(retd) to power.
“There were speculations of violence, the reason why the security agencies decided to take very decisive steps to ensure the election was peaceful.
“We are happy at the turn of the event, the police and military should be commended for a great job. Until this moment, we are yet to record a single case of violence across the Eighteen local government of the state. We are very impressed with the election umpire and the security agencies.”
Dalori added:”As things stand, the APC is poised for victory. We are confident that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa would be returned as the governor of Ondo State. We call on the opposition parties and the people of Ondo state to rally support for the in-coming APC government so that it will be able to deliver the much-needed dividends of democracy to the good people of the sunshine state.”
The Ondo governorship election was witnessed by a parade of APC governors, including the chairman of the national campaign council, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Chairman of the APC Governor’s Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State. The NWC team led by the National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduja includes, the deputy national chairman-south, Hon. Emmanuel Eneukwu, the national secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru and other members of the national working Committee.
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