Presidential/NASS elections: Intimidation, harassment, as hoodlums wreak havoc on voters (+videos)
Despite assurances by the security apparatus of the Federal Government of their readiness to ensure zero-tolerance for electoral exercise in the forthcoming general elections across the country, social miscreants and other political thugs made do their threat to disrupt peaceful, free and fair voting at the polling units, as reports emerge of swathes of disturbances and skirmishes in parts of the country.
Although, voting in Lagos areas like Lekki, Ikeja GRA and Victoria Island went on peacefully and orderly, voters in other areas of the state, including Ojo, Amuwo Odofin, Ago Palace Way, experienced harassment and intimidation from political thugs and know electoral officials, even as security operatives attached to polling units, watched helplessly.
According to political observers, areas traditionally dominated by opposition voters are being targeted for disruption by ruling party thugs and agents, who appear make voting unsuccessful for the benefit of their principals.
Earlier Saturday, Oracle Today newspaper reported of seamless voting in parts of Lagos during the Presidential and National Assembly elections as registered voters trooped out en mass to cast their votes as early as possible.
Voters trooped out as early as 7.30 am in GRA district of Ikeja to begin the exercise. While some polling units had hundreds of registered voters to attend to, others had barely 20 persons to process.
Similarly, while some emptied as early as 10.30am after processing registered voters, some were still busy as at 11am. But, most of the polling units had literally closed for the day by 12 noon, with some shutting down as at 1.30am. Official close of voting had been fixed for 2.30 pm by INEC, except for polling units which encountered difficult logistics.
Voting in the Ikeja GRA district of Lagos, in all was hitch-free. Reports on conduct of the polls in other parts of Lagos are still awaited as at press time.
Also in Surulere local government area of Lagos, situation reports indicated voting at polling units 010 and 009 in Salvage ward was smooth.
However, it was a tale of violence, intimidation and harassment for Lagos residents in other parts of the state where perceived opposition party voters reside in their majority, with their traditional voting patterns which seeming does not favour the ruling political party.
Multiple trending ad confirmed videos showed voters scampering for their dear lives as their polling units were invaded by area boys or social miscreants suspected to be working for the ruling party.
In one of the videos trending on Twitter, head of the Lagos transport parks, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, could be heard threatening to resist any Igbo who attempted to vote.
“Any Igbo wen dem born well, make e come vote again; me I dey here,” Mc Oluomo said as a police officer standing by tapped him on the back as if trying to appease him as voters stood watching to see what would happen.
A second video captured a man clearly telling voters they would only be allowed to vote for the APC party.
“If you no fit vote APC for here, go your house. Nobody force you come here. I go come check am. If I see you vote another party, you go enter one chance. We no come joke for here,” the unidentified man yelled.
Political thugs supporting the ruling party also disrupted voting at Oba Yekini, Elegushi street; Ikate, Lekki; Akinyele street in Aguda, Surulere and Fadeyi areas of Lagos state, scattering ballot boxes and interfering with the election process, in the presence of security men.
“I collected a couple of slaps for fighting back before I got pulled from the melee, into a house for my safety. Now I have to be smuggled out of the voting area because I have been marked,” a journalist and CEO of Afrobeats Intelligence Joey Akan said.
However, another captures the arrival of a detachment of police and military personnel at the palace of Oba Elegushi to the joy of voters who had earlier staged a protest chanting “we must vote.”
Voting has since resumed under improved security overseen by the military in the area.
At one of the polling units in Ikate area of Lagos, the voting was disrupted, and election materials carted away. The voters were told by the hoodlums who disrupted the process that ‘this is not Igbo land.’
At Ikota, many of the voters could not locate their names in the voter-register of their polling units, and in some polling units the INEC officials were unavailable. The massive crowd at the area are distressed, unable to understand what was happening.
At another polling unit in Lagos, a man in a video was heard threatening voters planning to vote against the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying those who failed to heed the warning would face ‘wahala.’
Reacting, Oba Elegushi claimed that strange people who are not residents applied to vote in the area.
Voting has been interrupted at Ikate in Eti-Osa area of Lekki, Lagos just outside the palace of Oba Saheed Elegushi after hoodlums made away with ballot boxes.
The hoodlums also destroyed election materials and chased away the presiding officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“They just physically assaulted @EditiEffiong because he was videoing the whole thing. He tried running into the palace when they saw & chased him but they locked the gate. This is madness. The police officers here just stood & did nothing. They took his phone and deleted the video.
“Was outside when they chased and assaulted @EditiEffiong, tried recording but they are beating anyone recording here & taking your phone if they spot you. Area dey hot.”
Speaking with the press, Oba Elegushi claimed that strange people who are not residents applied to vote in the area.
A similar tale was narrated by a voter in Port Harcourt who alleged in a trending Twitter video, Saturday, that other voters are also being intimidated in some parts of Rivers State.
According to a video that is currently trending on social media, a young man and a lady who are said to be supporters of the former governor of Anambra State and Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Gregory Obi, has come out to lament, saying that they are being intimidated by some people at their polling units.
Speaking in a viral video shared by Port Harcourt specials, they alleged that they were told at their polling unit to go home if they are going to vote for Peter Obi.
In another area of Lagos, aside from the burning down of election materials, officials of INEC reportedly came under attack in Oshodi.
The officials were later moved to the headquarters of the Lagos Police Command in Ikeja.
In Surulere part of Lagos, suspected thugs attacked voters at some polling units where they carted away election materials.
At PU 040 on Ladele Dada Street, Ikate Surulere, guards were ordered to lock the gates leading to an estate to prevent invasion by thugs.
“At least, when they come they will meet some resistance,” the guard who locked the gate said. “Before they can attack us, we will respond with what we have,” added.
There is no policeman no soldier at this polling unit and the one at the other end of the street.
“Ballot boxes have just been snatched on Idowu Street, around Karonwi side,” one of the men at the venue. From OU 040 to Idowu Street is about 5 kilometers.
The voters vowed they are determined to stay at the venue until the votes are counted.
In Ogun State, armed thugs reportedly invaded a polling unit in Ayegbami, in the Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, destroyed a ballot box and disrupted the electoral process in the area.
Ayegbami is a street in Iperu, Ikenne LGA, the hometown of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun.
The thugs, who rode motorcycles, invaded the polling unit around 3.40 pm, snatched the ball box and destroyed it.
While some people said the attack was unwarranted, some others said it was sponsored by politicians.
The angry mob, while expressing their grievances against the attack, stormed Ward 3, Polling Unit 003, Iregun, close to the polling unit of the governor.
