The deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Festus Akingbaso, has raised the alarm over alleged influx of armed thugs in Idanre local government as the governorship election gets underway.
Akingbaso, a serving member of the House of Representatives, made the allegation in a chat with newsmen shortly after casting his vote at his Polling Unit 005, Oke Imikan.
He accused the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) of bringing thugs to Idanre to disrupt the exercise.
The politician, however, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election in his polling unit but expressed concern over alleged disruption of voting by thugs in some parts of the local government.
Akingbaso said, “The turnout of voters is not bad, and the security situation here is commendable. I want to appreciate INEC as their performance so far has been satisfactory. However, my advice to voters is that after casting their votes, they should stay behind and monitor proceedings until the final results are announced. If everything goes smoothly, I am confident my party will win.”
“Information reaching me indicates that several villages are overrun by thugs allegedly brought in by the APC. Villages such as Ofosun, Omifunfun, and Allah are reportedly occupied. In Igbepo, suspected thugs have gathered in large numbers.”
He alleged that suspected thugs broke into the house of a prominent PDP member to prevent him and members of his household from going to their polling unit to cast their vote.
“We have been informed of plans to disenfranchise voters in these villages. Since Friday, there have been allegations of APC bringing in thugs. I have reported the matter to the DPO and the DSS, but unfortunately, the security agencies have not taken any concrete action so far,” he added.
The deputy governorship candidate appealed to the security agencies to address the situation and ensure a peaceful election process in the affected areas.
