OSSIEC Berates Police for Arresting Commission’s Staff, as LP Alleges Irregularities

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Chairman of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Barr. Hashim Abioye, has called out the Nigeria Police for arresting staff of the Commission who are on election duty across the state.

While commending the electorate for coming out to exercise their franchise, Hashim, in a message made available to journalists, appealed to the media community for the inability of the commission to provide accreditation materials.

“It was because the Police had sealed off OSSIEC head office where the materials were kept.

“For the units where materials didn’t arrive early, it was due to Police arrest of the officials conveying the materials. New materials have been deployed and voting is now ongoing,” he added.

Meanwhile, there were allegations of electoral irregularities in Unit 4, Ward 7, Osogbo local government in the ongoing local government election in Osun State.

The allegations were made by Barrister Bode Babalola, the Labour Party (LP) Chairmanship candidate for Osogbo local government while speaking with journalists.

Babalola raised concerns that thumb-printed ballot papers were stuffed in ballot boxes before being brought to his polling unit.

He also claimed that as of 9:30am, no electoral officer was present at the polling station.

He said, “Upon the arrival of OSSIEC electoral officers, ballot papers had already been thumb-printed.

“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.

He further claimed that when he challenged the officials, they defended the process by saying voting had begun as early as 7:00am.

However, he argued that no voters could have legally cast their ballots at that time.

But, despite the allegations, PDP Ward 7 Secretary, Kasali Nurudeen Olalekan, described the election in same polling unit as peaceful and well organised.

According to him, “OSSIEC officials arrived on time, and voting commenced by 8:00am, 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.

However, some voters alleged that election did not hold in their polling units. It was also gathered that the election in some polling units were concluded earlier than expected.