PANDEMONIUM AS ONDO STATE STUDENTS ELECTION ENDED IN CHAOS, ONDO STATE GOVERNMENT 'ANOINTED' CANDIDATES CLINCHES POSITIONS
Information reaching us suggests that the election of the national body of the national association of ondo state students might have ended in chaos as members of the anti-cultism squad, Nigeria military and some miscreants were said to have been hired by the state government with a view to use them to impose their own candidate. This was contained in a statement by one of the senators who was said to have been eligible to vote but was not allowed to exercise his franchise. Witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity emphasized that the state government became keenly interested in the election as a result of preparations for the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Ondo state. The state government was said to have vested authority on a former stakeholder of the association who is currently a member of the Ondo state house of assembly.
Our correspondent gathered that at a point when the election was being observed as characterized by manipulations, the chairman of the electoral committee of the election sought to postpone the election by declaring it inconclusive. In a bid by the electorates to recover and destroy the ballot box from security operatives that were perceived to be taking sides with the government, the enforcement agents started shooting sporadically into the air, to scare the electorates. But at a point in time, they were said to have shot aimlessly. The obviously humiliated electorates scampered to safety, and after minutes, they gathered once again at the venue to observe what was happening, and to their dismay, they discovered that the election was being conducted in the absence of legitimate electorates. It should be stated at this point that our correspondent was caught in the scenario and was forced to scamper alongside some other journalists, thus, following the ethics of ‘safety first’
Another statement made available by a source close to the state government suggests that the house of assembly member was sent to the election to regulate the affairs of the election, in a bid to ensure that the state government’s commitment to the ‘one man, one vote was ensured’. The source who pleaded anonymity confirmed that the men of the anti-cultism squad was forced to scare away hoodlums and disgruntled elements who wanted to cart away with the ballot box. ‘They didn’t shoot at any of the students, they shots upwards to scare away the hoodlums, they had to do that so as to ensure that the mandate of the students is kept safe, the man in question is an individual that has respect for human dignity’ the source emphasized.
There seemed to be a drastic turn in the event as some members of the association besieged the premises of a radio station located in Akure, chanting ‘solidarity songs’ in a bid to demand justice and outright cancellation of the election that was conducted in a school at Oba-Ile in Akure north local government area of the state. In his words, a leader of the group said, ‘what happened is a slap on Nigerian students and against ondo state students. The ondo state government have forced enforced their people against the interest of the masses and Nigerian students. The Nigerian police and the men of the anti-cultism squad shots at the Nigerian students.’ ‘What transpired today is a different case, it was a case of god-fatherism and nepotism. The legitimate senators were not allowed to exercise their civic rights.’ Another student said. In a statement made available to us, by students under the aegis of Ondo state students liberators, headed by the representative of FUTA chapter of the association, the students condemned the incidence and then declared their candidate, Comrade Ebiwonjumi Humphrey as the elected president of the association. They were also said to have termed the election that was conducted at the school at oba-ile as that of the ‘government house’ executives of NAOSS.
However, the state police public relations officer was said to have distanced the Nigerian police force from the incident with a promise to report back as soon as he is briefed on the development.

AKINTUNDE, JEREMIAH...REPORTING FROM AKURE, THE ONDO STATE CAPITAL

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