A notorious thug allegedly loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC), identified as “Big Hammer,” has reportedly disrupted the voting process at the polling unit of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Najeem Salam, in Ejigbo Local Government Area of Osun State.
The incident occurred on Saturday as voters across the state headed to polling units to cast their ballots in the Osun State governorship election.
According to reports, the alleged disruption created panic among voters, election agents and other residents at the polling unit, forcing some of them to flee the area to escape the attack.
A video seen by SaharaReporters showed voters and election agents running in different directions amid the reported incident.
One of the persons captured in the video narrated how they were forced to jump over a fence in an attempt to escape the attack.
“We had to jump the fence to escape, this is very uncalled for,” the victim said.
The incident has further heightened concerns over violence and intimidation during the governorship election, with several reports emerging from different parts of the state over alleged attacks and disruptions.
In another video obtained by SaharaReporters, a vehicle was seen damaged while residents expressed concern over the violence and destruction associated with the election.
The residents were heard lamenting why an electoral process meant to allow citizens to freely choose their preferred candidates had degenerated into violence and destruction.
The alleged disruption at Salam’s polling unit is particularly significant given that the ADC candidate is one of the major contenders in the election, while political tensions have remained high across Osun State ahead of the conclusion of voting and collation.
The development also comes amid separate allegations by Governor Ademola Adeleke that there was an alleged plot to disrupt the ongoing election.
Adeleke, who spoke shortly after casting his ballot at Unit 009, Ward 2, Ede North Local Government Area, accused the APC of bringing a police officer from Port Harcourt to “disorganise the vote.”
The governor called on the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to closely monitor the activities of the alleged officer and ensure that the election was not disrupted.
Adeleke said, “It’s going well and I hope it continues like that but I got some information for my people in Osun State. There is one Police officer called London from Port Harcourt, they brought him to come and disorganise the vote, so I am calling on the Inspector General of Police and all the security agents to watch out and be on the look out.”
He further alleged that the officer was brought into Osun by the APC as part of an alleged plan to interfere with the electoral process, particularly in Ede, his hometown.
He said, “The APC in Osun brought him to come and destroy my town, the Police Commissioner election, the DIG election, should take note and all my people in Ede should watch out and I have it on authority of information that they dont want to go through the normal process of from units to wards and to local government, they just want to take it all the way to the collation centre and that is not acceptable, they must follow the rules and that’s why I am alerting my people to watch out and I know by the special grace of God that I am winning this election.”
The allegations by Adeleke and the reported disruption at the ADC candidate’s polling unit have added to growing concerns over the conduct of the election, particularly allegations of intimidation, violence and attempts to interfere with voting.
Political parties and other stakeholders have continued to call on security agencies to ensure that voters, electoral officials and party agents are allowed to participate in the process without intimidation.
The alleged activities of “Big Hammer” at the Ejigbo polling unit also raise fresh concerns over the role of political thugs in the election, particularly as voters seek to exercise their constitutional right to choose their preferred candidate.
Security agencies are expected to maintain order at polling units and prevent acts capable of disrupting voting or disenfranchising voters.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is also expected to ensure that the electoral process proceeds in accordance with established rules and that results reflect the votes legitimately cast by the electorate.
As voting continues, attention remains focused on security agencies and election officials to prevent further incidents of violence and ensure that voters across Osun State can cast their ballots freely and safely.
(SaharaReporters)