1st April, 2011
Residents of the ancient town of Ogbomosho seem unprepared and unenthusiastic about tomorrow’s and subsequent elections that will hold in he town.
Indication to this fact was expressed by a few locals who volunteered their opinions about the election.
A motocycle rider, who simply identified himself as Mufutau said he would stay indoors tomorrow for safety of his life.
He claimed that his decision not to vote in spite of registering during the last voter registration exercise was due to the precarious security situation in the town.
Also, students of the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho were seen in their large numbers travelling to various destinations.
Asked why the exodus of students out of the town despite being currently in session, Sesan Olugbenga, a 300 level Architecture student, said: “the governor and the school authorities have shown by their actions and words that they can’t guarantee our security, so we have to leave. Besides, the school authorities have also warned students to vacate the institution till after the elections.”
Corroborating Sesan’s statement, Juliana said “Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala pressured the school management to close the institution because he knows he is not popular among the students over his obnoxious directive to hike the school fees from N6000 to N40000 for satellites and N60000 to N110000 for freshmen.
“Most of the students registered to vote here and he knows they would vote against him,” she said.
Investigation by PMNEWS revealed that Armoured Personnel Carriers [APC] and a contingent of anti-riot mobile policemen have taken over the university community.
They were seen patrolling the vicinity. The school has officially been closed while students were asked to resume on 24 April.
Despite being an an indigene of the town, Governor Akala’s chances of wining by landslide in the town appeared herculean, owing to disaffection expressed by a number of people.
Ont Tuesday, 29 March, a huge crowd of party supporters was reported
to have attended a campaign rally of Accord Party governorship candidate, Sen. Rasheed Ladoja at the Soun Stadium in Ogbomosho.
Jolted by the incident, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala was alleged to have distributed various sums of money on Wednesday to residents in order to neutralise whatever influence his opponent might have created.
However, office of the IndependentNational Electoral Commission [INEC], located beside the State Security Service [SSS] on Irese road, Ogbomosho North Local Govt. looked deserted.
Only a female staff of the commission, who refused to identify herself, alongside a plain cloth security operative and an anti-riot mobile police officer was seen there.
It is noteworthy that scanty posters of contestants for the state House of Assembly and National Assembly elections were seen in other parts of the town save for General on Ilorin rd where more posters of candidates give a visitor a hint of that election is about to place.
By Folarin Ademosu/Ogbomosho