28th April, 2024
By Isa Isawade
Youth leader and National Coordinator of Pro-Democracy Groups for A Better Nigeria, Comrade Awa Bamiji has alleged that several forms of irregularity marred the just concluded Local Government elections in Oyo State.
He listed the irregularities to include late announcement of names of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) ad-hoc staff, late arrival of voting materials, shortage of voting materials, violence and over-voting.
Awa Bamiji made the observations in a piece he wrote and sent to P.M.NEWS in Lagos on Saturday.
“How can you broadcast the names of the successful applicants for OYSIEC work as your ad-hoc staff less than 24 hours before the Local Government election and expect total readiness and efficiency?
“I left home at 06:20 am and arrived at Olomi at 06:40 am in our family House, which means, I spent only 20 minutes, there was no single Police or Army barricade on the major Roads within the Town, including Lagos/Ibadan Express Way unlike during the Presidential/National Assembly (NASS) and Gubernatorial/State Assembly Elections which were organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“When I got to my polling Unit at Olomi Community Primary School I, Unit 3, at 09:00 am, to cast my vote, expectedly, I noticed low turnout of voters, but all of us were totally disappointed including 2 policemen and 2 FRSC Officers because voting materials did not arrive until 11 am instead of 8 am. I voted at 11:30 am and went back home by noon,” Awa Bamiji narrated.
He also said violence broke out in one of the units in Ona-Ara Local Government which he said was reported to him by a neighbour.
He also alleged a shortage of materials at some polling units.
“Imagine a unit in Ibadan South East Local Government, as reported live by Agidigbo FM, where OSIEC made only 100 copies of voting materials available for the registered 750 voters. A similar case was reported in another unit by Splash FM,” Awa lamented.
He called for a thorough investigation of the conducted LG election processes.
OYSIEC conducted the local government election in all 33 local government areas of the state on Saturday 27 April 2024.