The Local Government elections conducted by
the Ondo State Independent Electoral
Commission (ODIEC) was on Saturday marred by
"salient apathy" across all eighteen council areas
of the State
The council election recorded a low turnout of
voters as many in the State stayed indoors in a
deliberate action to protest the "mere selection"
exercise and contest within the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) government of the State,
according to voters speaking with
SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters observed that the election,
scheduled to commence at 8 am according to the
Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission
(ODIEC), started 10:15 am in many of the 203
wards of the State.
Many wards and polling booths received their
election materials late, particularly in the northern
and southern locals, which delayed the tabulation
of votes.
Many security agents were seen monitoring the
exercise with ammunitions while shops and
business were shut down throughout the
duration of the exercise across the eighteen local
council areas of the State.
Our correspondents who monitored the conduct
of the exercise reported that many voters, most
especially civil servants, that made up dozens of
electorates in the State apparently shunned the
polling centers and refused to vote.
"Why should we come out and participate in an
election that had already been selective by the
peoples Democratic Party government of
governor Olusegun Mimiko.
"This is the same governor that refused to pay
our five months salary and subjecting us to
fervent hardship and poverty in the State" an
angry civil servant said.
SaharaReporters can authoritatively report that
there were instances of violence in Akure North
and Ifedore Local Government Areas of the State
between some candidates of the participating
political parties who were angered and felt
cheated over imposition of candidates on them by
the governor's foot soldiers.
Olugbenga Ige, the Chairman of ODIEC had
announced that only fourteen political parties
including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
would be participate in the Saturday election.
SaharaReporters investigation revealed that in
some polling units in Akure South and North Local
Government Areas of the State, voters were
"bribed and forced" out of their compounds by
agents of the PDP to turnout for the Saturday
election.
An impeccable source revealed to our
correspondent how some loyalists in the civil
service of the Ondo State government were
initially bought with funds to manipulate the
election but were later dislodged and replaced
with PDP agents.
"Some loyal civil servants who were trained as
Returning Officers by the State Independent
Electoral Commission in Akure were given
essential materials for the election and even slept
over in the commission's office over night after
they were bribed and mobilized financially.
"Surprisingly, they were recalled back to the
commission's office to return all the sensitive
materials in their possession and money given to
them few hours to the election, thereby delaying
the whole process till around some minutes past
10 am in an election that ought to start by 8
am,” the source said
A top government official who confided in one of
our reporters after the election said the action of
the Governor to recall the civil servants and
replaced them with core party supporters was to
rigged the election in favor of PDP candidates in
the contest.
"You will agree with me that people refused to
come out for this election and it shows a low
turnout of voters in virtually all the local council
areas of the State.
"So, in order to meet up with the total number of
vote to be counted as a winner in the election, we
have to bring in our people in the party to help
mount the polling units by serving as Returning
Officers for the election.
"And they were able to cooperate by giving us
ballot papers to massively thumb print in favor of
the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party
contesting the chairmanship and councillorship
seats in the eighteen local government areas of
the state" he added.
Sources in the southern area of the state revealed
to SaharaReporters that electorates in the
community abstained totally from the poll in
protest of government abandonment of the area.
"They complained there is no basic amenities
from this present government most of the
especially in some locals around Irele local
government that had been in darkness for some
past years.
"This got them angry and made them to
unanimously decide not to come out and vote or
partake in the whole exercise which is meant to
further corrupt the seat of government in the few
months toy he expiration of this incumbent
administration in the state".
It was gathered that ODIEC Chairman would
official announced results of all the winners at the
commission's headquarters in Akure tomorrow

saharareporters.com/2016/04/23/low-turnout-violence-rigging-and-bribery-mars-ondo-lg-election

I thought the elections were peaceful. All the reports I have received today indicated that the only problem was voter apathy. I wonder where Sahara Reporters got their information from

where sahara reporters they during rivers election use less people

Thunder fire Sowole and his corrupt employees. How much did Tinubu pay you †̥♥ write this trash. So Y̶̲̥̅̊ø̲̣̣̥ǖ phoolishly think Y̶̲̥̅̊ø̲̣̣̥ǖ can use this †̥♥ prepare ammunition for the quack lawyers like Rotimi Jacobs for APC's tribunal suicide dance. Your FADA!

maupe:
I thought the elections were peaceful. All the reports I have received today indicated that the only problem was voter apathy. I wonder where Sahara Reporters got their information from

Put a live link ..