Eniola Yekini
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has raised an alarm over the involvement of some police officers in voter intimidation and disruption at the ongoing governorship election in parts of the state.
This is as the Governor called on the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to investigate reported incidents and ensure that security personnel remain neutral throughout the exercise.
According to him, a police officer reportedly brought from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which is known by the nickname “London”, was in Ede to disrupt voting.
Governor Adeleke noted that the officer was allegedly brought in to create fear among voters and prevent them from participating in the election.
“On authority information that there is one police officer that they brought to come and do a hatchet job in the APC Osun, from Port Harcourt. They call his nickname London. He’s here in Ede hiding.
“His own job is to come and destroy Ede and then avoid so that he can scare people, shooting so that they will not vote.
“So I’m calling the Inspector-General of Police to take note. I am calling on the security agencies to take note. They should redeploy him.”
Adeleke said his administration was opposed to violence, stressing that residents should be allowed to exercise their voting rights without intimidation.
“We don’t want him in Osun; we don’t want violence in Osun. All we want is a free and fair election so that people can perform their civic duties,” he said.
The governor also questioned the alleged handling of election results, insisting that the collation process must follow the prescribed sequence from polling units through wards and local government areas before reaching the state level.
“The pattern of voting should be from units to wards to local government. Not that they will take local government collation straight to the state capital. That is unacceptable,” he said.
Adeleke further alleged that there had been an attempt to introduce fake ballot papers into the election, urging voters and electoral officials to remain alert.
“That is a form of rigging, and I am calling on the authorities that the APC have tried to rig and has some fake ballot papers. I want Osun people to watch out for that too,” he said.
The governor also raised concerns over alleged incidents involving tear gas at polling locations in Modakeke and Obaagun.
He claimed he had received reports that police officers were allegedly facilitating the use of tear gas to disperse voters.
“Right now, as I’m voting, I just received a call in Modakeke and Obaagun that police is aiding them to teargas them so that people can run away. People are resolute. They just want to perform their civic duty,” Adeleke said.
He also alleged that political thugs had taken away a ballot box in one of the affected locations.
“The thugs took the ballot box and ran away. We have already reported this to the security agencies. I hope they do something so that they will not turn Osun State into a war zone,” he said.
Despite the reported incidents, Adeleke said voting around his immediate area had been peaceful.
“I’ve already told you, so far so good, it’s been peaceful in my area here. I hope it’s like that across the state. But it’s not peaceful in Modakeke and, of course, in Obaagun,” he said.
The governor also expressed confidence that he would emerge victorious at the end of the poll, attributing his optimism to the support of voters and his faith.
“But I can assure you, at the end of the day, I have God on my side, and I have my people on my side. I am going to win this election,” the governor said.