In the ongoing Osun State local government elections, allegations of electoral misconduct have emerged, particularly in Unit 4, Ward 7 of Osogbo Local Government Area.
Barrister Bode Babalola, the Labour Party’s chairmanship candidate for Osogbo, voiced concerns about pre-thumb-printed ballots being introduced into ballot boxes before their arrival at his polling unit.
He noted that by 9:30 a.m., electoral officers were absent from the station.
“Upon the arrival of OSSIEC electoral officers, ballot papers had already been thumb-printed,” Babalola stated.
He further alleged that influential members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had convened a meeting with OSSIEC officials, leading to ballot boxes in Units 7 and 16 being pre-filled.
“When I came here in the morning, the place was empty. However, I later received information that some powerful PDP men had called OSSIEC officials to a meeting. I also discovered that in Units 7 and 16, ballot boxes had already been filled up,” Babalola stated.
When questioned, officials reportedly claimed that voting commenced at 7:00 a.m., a time Babalola contends was implausible for legitimate voting.
Contrastingly, Kasali Nurudeen Olalekan, the PDP Ward 7 Secretary, described the election process as orderly and peaceful.
“OSSIEC officials arrived on time, and voting commenced by 8:00 a.m., with party agents verifying election materials before the process began. “The election went smoothly, and the electorate came out to vote for their preferred candidates without violence,” Olalekan stated.
He emphasized that voters participated without any incidents of violence.
In a related development, Hashim Abioye, Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), criticized the Nigeria Police for detaining commission staff assigned to election duties statewide.
Abioye explained that the police had sealed the OSSIEC headquarters, restricting access to essential accreditation materials. This action, he noted, led to delays in material distribution and subsequent voting processes.
“It was because the Police had sealed off the OSSIEC head office where the materials were kept.”
“For the units where materials didn’t arrive early, it was due to the Police arresting the officials conveying the materials. New materials have been deployed, and voting is now ongoing,” Abioye clarified.
