Voter apathy and lateness of election materials on Saturday characterised the local government elections conducted across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State.
The election was conducted by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC).
LEADERSHIP correspondent who monitored the election, observed that the exercise was peaceful but started late due to the late arrival of electoral officials and materials at the polling units.
In most of the polling units visited by our correspondent, voting 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, electoral materials arrived very late in most polling units while the turnout was so low with only a handful of voters seen at majority of the polling units.
At Gbogi/Isinkan II along Agagu Road in Akure South Local Government Area, electoral officers 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 low turnout of voters.
Also, there was total compliance with the restriction order as security operatives disallowed vehicular movements 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 attributed the voter apathy to the withdrawal of major opposition party from the elections.
A resident of Akure who spoke to 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.
Another voter, Mr. Olamide Bello, called on the government to invest in publicity campaigns to enlighten the public on the need to vote and elect capable leaders.
Addressing journalists after casting his vote at his Polling Unit 5, Ward 4 in Obe- Nla, Ilaje LGA on Saturday, the state governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, described the pulling out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the election as “Cowardness”.
Aiyedatiwa said, ”For the PDP to pull out, that is cowardness. They participated in the whole process, 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 have in the last election, we don’t expect anything else.”
Also, the state 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 and urged others still at home to come out to perform their civic duties.
He said, “It is important to vote in this election to enable us deepen delivery of good governance at the grassroots level because it is the tier of government that is closest to the people.”
The deputy governor commended ODIEC, security agencies and stakeholders for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
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 on the ballot paper.
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, saying the electoral body instead used the party’s old logo.
Also, the Vice Chairmanship candidate of NNPP in Ondo West local government, Akinnagbe Akinola Johnson, who spoke with our reporter at Polling Unit 26, Ward 7, confirmed the omission of the party’s official logo by ODIEC in the ballot paper.
Both Adebayo and his deputy, 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.
Adebayo said, ”Our party’s candidates, members and their supporters are in their various polling units to vote this morning because we are sure of winning, but only to get there and realised that our logo is omitted and we can’t vote on wrong logo.”
The candidates threatened to take legal action if the election is not cancelled and the error by ODIEC corrected on their logo.
When contacted for his reaction, the Ondo State Chairman of NNPP, Pastor Peter Olagookun lamented the omission of his party’s logo and called for calm while assuring that necessary step would be taken to address it.
