Some hoodlums have attacked and assaulted officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Polling Unit 19, Ward 6 Ogbagi in the Akoko area of Ondo State in the ongoing governorship election in the state.

According to a video posted on social media, the Presiding Officer (PO) of the polling unit said that the attackers destroyed all the electoral materials at the polling unit, stole their phones and purses, and physically assaulted them.

The Presiding Officer, who said that the attack happened shortly after a PDP agent at the polling unit was arrested by the police for tearing votes, said that her Assistant Presiding Officer 1 (APO 1) she identified as Bello Samuel, had been missing since they were attacked.

Narrating what happened, the Presiding Officer said, “As the process of the election was going on, a party agent from PDP tore a vote without my consent. I don’t know his name because he had not indicated his name.

“I was trying to address him but he asked me to do my work. In order to resolve the matter, the Kabiyesi of the community (community leader) came but he (the PDP) agent was trying to tear another vote when the officers (police) at the polling unit called the DPO for his arrest.

“They (police) asked me what I wanted and I said he should be removed or the polling unit should be canceled. Then, he was arrested and the election continued.

“Unaware, we discovered a gang of people parking the election materials and they beat us up – I and my APOs. Even till now, I haven’t seen my APO 1, Bello Samuel by name.

“Our phones have been stolen with our purses, and all the electoral materials have been destroyed except the BVAS which I escaped with.”

She said that before the hoodlums attacked them, “I called SPO and the officers called the DPO. After that, I know nothing preserved by grace.”

INEC has begun to upload Ondo Governorship Election Results to the IReV Portal.

Ondo State electorates have today voted who would govern the South-west state until 2028.

Those who contested in the election include: Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Bamidele Akingboye; Labour Party’s (LP) Olusola Ebiseni, Zenith Labour Party’s (ZLP) Abbas Mimiko; and Hon Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

SEE RESULTS:
Ondo governorship election INEC IReV portal results:

OGOGORO III: OPEN SPACE AT EDEMAS HOUSE OGOGORO

Ward: MAHIN 11
Lga: ILAJE

NNPP: 53
APC: 47
PDP: 1
LP: 0

OKENJO/OKEEJE CAMP/EDEBO /OSAFA 1 & 11, BESIDE AKADIRIS HOUSE

Ward: ISOWOPO II
Lga: AKOKO NORTH EAST

APC: 90
LP: 30
PDP: 25

L.A PRY SCH IGIRIKILE

Ward: APOI III
Lga: ESE-ODO

APC: 69
PDP: 64

ODOSI 1 & 11, COURT HALL AUGA

Ward: ISOWOPO II
Lga: AKOKO NORTH EAST

APC: 135
PDP: 40
LP: 35

OPEN SPACE ARENIBARO MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL AMAPERE

Ward: AROGBO I
Lga: ESE-ODO

APC: 116
PDP: 26
LP: 01

OKETUN 1&11/OKEPAYE, IN FRONT OF OWATIS HOUSE

Ward: IYOMETA II
Lga: AKOKO NORTH EAST

APC: 223
LP: 24
PDP: 20

ARAROMI/OSCAS, IN FRONT OF AFOLABIS HOUSE

Ward: IYOMETA II
Lga: AKOKO NORTH EAST

APC: 210
LP: 38
PDP: 32

OPEN SPACE AT AJAKURAMA QUARTERS KIRIBO BACK OF ETOFO IGUNLA HOUSE

Ward: APOI II
Lga: ESE-ODO

PDP: 128
APC: 77

OLOWU COMP, K&S PRY SCH .OKEGBALA

Ward: IYOMETA II
Lga: AKOKO NORTH EAST

APC: 195
LP: 25
PDP: 18

A Presiding Officer, Miss Angela Oshogwe, at the ongoing governorship election in Ondo State has said that the Bio modal Voter Accreditation System( BVAS) machine could not capture faces of some elderly voters.

Oshogwe, manning Poling Unit 19, Ward 11 Olamojuba, Ondo in Ondo West Local Government Area of theT state, said that she had lodged the complaints about the BVAS not capturing elderly voters to the concerned authorities.

She added that the response she got was that the complaint was not limited to her polling unit, stating that the elderly had been waiting for long to vote without success.

According to her, there is the possibility of the BVAS to function before the close of voting.

Reacting to the complaint, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the commission was aware of the development in “very limited” polling units

“We are aware that in very limited cases, a few elderly voters couldn’t be accredited by the BVAS at first attempt. But, in subsequent attempts, the problem was resolved.

“A Presiding Officer in one polling unit (PU) out of 3,933 PUs in Ondo State is not in the position to say how widespread a technical problem is.

“From the reports at our disposal, so far, the BVAS is performing satisfactorily. It is not unusual for technical issues to occur in a major off-season election like the one we are conducting today.

“We anticipated it and made adequate arrangements to respond to any type of challenge,” Oyekanmi said

A septuagenarian, Mrs Agnes Olapade, who was affected by the technical problem, said that she was disappointed that she could not vote due to malfunction of the BVAS.

Olapade said she had been at the polling unit, with other affected elderly voters, since 8:00 a.m. without being able to vote.

According to her. she voted in the previous elections without any difficulty.

Similarly, Mrs Rukayat Olawoye, 87 years old, said that she came out because of the voting but was disappointed at the difficulty occasioned by the BVAS.

Another septuagenarian, Mrs Ronke Fayankimi, stated that she and other affected elderly voters would continue to wait, to see if the BVAS would capture their faces to enable them vote for the next Ondo governor.
NAN