Voter apathy and lateness of election materials yesterday characterised the local government council elections conducted across the 18 councils by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC).
LEADERSHIP Sunday checks showed that the election was peaceful but started late due to the late arrival of election officials and materials at the polling stations.
In most of the polling units visited by our correspondent, the election began on a shaky note with the late distribution of electoral materials and the turnout of voters was not impressive.
In Akure, the state capital, it was observed that electoral materials arrived very late in most polling units while the turnout was so low that in a majority of the polling units, only a handful of voters were seen.
At Gbogi/Isinkan II along Agagu Road in Akure South local government area, election officials and security personnel were seen patiently waiting for voters while some youths were spotted playing football beside the polling unit.
Although the exercise began early in some parts of the state, it also recorded a low turnout of voters.
Also, there was a total compliance with the restriction order, as security operatives in the state ensured that vehicular movements were not allowed across the state.
No fewer than 13 political parties participated in the local government elections.
The election was peaceful in some of the areas visited by our correspondent which include Ward 4, Unit 27 at St Stephen Primary School in Ijomu, and Ward 9, Unit 3 at St Paul Primary School, Oba Ile, in Akure South and Akure North local government areas.
Some residents who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday attributed the low voter turnout to the withdrawal of the major opposition party in the state.
A resident of Akure who spoke with our correspondent at Polling Unit 35, Oke-Ogba, Chief Boluwaji Farinmo, noted that although a few people were turning up to vote, the turnout remained sparse.
Chief Farinmo urged the government at all levels to focus on aggressive grassroots mobilisation to educate citizens on the importance of participating in elections.
Addressing journalists after casting his vote at his Polling Unit 5, Ward 4 in Obe-Nla, Ilaje LGA of the state on Saturday, the state governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa described the pulling out of the major opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the election as cowardice.
Aiyedatiwa said, “For the PDP to pull out, that is cowardice. They participated in the whole process, and the ODIEC released the timetable for the election, I don’t know the reason for that.
“Maybe the fear of losing; every election has its own logistics and other political parties are participating whatever reason that made them withdraw, I am not privy to that.”
On the conduct of the election, Aiyedatiwa said, “I just cast my vote without any crisis. This is just what happened in the November 16 election which was adjudged to be free and fair.
“The materials arrived early, and the security and the citizens are here. They are participating, and at the end of the day, just as we had in the last election, we don’t expect anything else.”
Also, the state’s deputy governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, while exercising his franchise at his Unit 16 Igboroko 2, Ward 3 in Owo local government area at about 9:45am, expressed satisfaction at the turnout of voters.
He said, “It is important to vote in this election to enable us to deepen delivery of good governance at the grassroots level because it is the tier of government that is closest to the people.”
Meanwhile, candidates of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) in the election have called for the cancellation of the polls due to total omission of the party’s logo in the ballot paper used.
The NNPP chairmanship candidate in Ondo West local government, Adebayo Olumide Oluwemimo who was at his Polling Unit 009, Ward 8, told journalists that the party’s logo could not be found on the ballot paper instead the old logo was used by ODIEC.
Also, the vice chairmanship candidate of the NNPP in Ondo West local government, Akinnagbe Akinola Johnson, who spoke with our correspondent at Polling Unit 26, Ward 7, confirmed the omission of the party’s official logo by ODIEC on the ballot paper.
Both Adebayo and Akinnagbe also alleged intimidation of their supporters at various polling units and accused ODIEC of bias by refusing to release NNPP party agents’ tags for them.
