Ondo state Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has conducted local council election in the state on Saturday, August 22.
The election in some parts of the state was however marred by ballot box snatching, stuffing and snatching of ballot paper booklets.
At Ward 4, Unit 19, in Akure South Local Government Area of the state, voters protested snatching of ballot box by some persons believed to be working for All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to multiple reports, some people had stormed ward 4, unit 19 opposite Omolere Nursery and Primary school, offering voters N30,000 to vote for a certain political party.
Mrs. Bisi Aderemi, Woman Leader of SDP in the ward, disclosed that the hoodlums stormed the polling unit on 10 motorbikes with three persons on each bike fully armed with dangerous weapons and snatched the ballot box and the remaining ballot papers booklets before zooming off.
There was also violence in Ayede/Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area as some unknown individuals suspected to be cultists, snatched ballot boxes in some polling centres.
However, the election was peaceful in some areas of the state.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu described the election exercise in Owo Local Government Area, Ijebu Owo Ward 5 Unit 6 where he voted at as a huge success, saying the turnout for the election was impressive.
The governor was accompanied by his wife, Betty, to the polling unit where the people at the polling station conducted themselves peacefully.
On his part, State Chairman of the All Progressives Party (APC), Engr. Ade Adetimehin, disclosed that there was no violence in Idanre Local Government Area of the state.
He charged members of his party to conduct themselves the same way during the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
Adetimehin urged the people of the town to troop out to perform their civic right on October 10, 2020.
He commended the electoral commission officers for quick arrival of electoral materials, adding that security agencies performed creditably well.
At Emure Ward 11, Unit 16 in Owo Local Government Area, Chief Alex Ajipe, CEO, Klick Konnect Network International, described the conduct of the election as peaceful.
He commended the electoral commission officers for arriving at the polling unit early.
Ajipe revealed that some of the voters arrived at the polling unit as early as 6am because they took the election seriously being the closest government to the people.
Bamidele Oleyelogun, Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, cast his vote at Isarun/Erigi Wards 10, 11 and 13 in Ifedore Local Government Area.
He said the turn-out at the polling units was encouraging and peaceful, adding that the ODIEC performed creditably very well.
Oleyelogun disclosed that the voting materials arrived early enough, saying there was no violence in the town.
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