Security operatives have been conspicuously absent from various polling units across Edo state in the ongoing governorship election, leaving voters vulnerable to attacks.
Armed thugs affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been reported to be moving from one polling unit to another, violently disrupting the voting process and creating chaos in what should have been a peaceful election.
Eyewitnesses from different locations have expressed frustration and fear over the breakdown of law and order.
The absence of security personnel, despite repeated reports of violent incidents, has further fueled speculation that the security agencies are complicit in aiding the APC’s efforts to undermine the electoral process.
In Unit 10, Ward 6 of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, voters were left at the mercy of armed APC thugs who arrived in large numbers, smashing ballot boxes and tearing up voters’ cards.
“We’ve been calling for help for hours, but no security agents have shown up. The APC boys came in two buses, armed with machetes and guns. They destroyed everything, and people had to run for their lives,” said Mr. Darlington Omozuwa, a witness who was at the polling unit when the attack occurred.
A similar incident occurred in Unit 5, Ward 12 of Ovia Southwest Local Government Area, where APC thugs reportedly beat up voters and disrupted the ongoing vote tallying process.
An elderly woman, Mrs. Evelyn Aisagbonhi, who had been waiting in line to vote, tearfully recounted her experience:
“They didn’t want anyone to vote. They started shouting and attacking people. No police or security to protect us. It was pure chaos,” she stated.
Reports from several other polling units across the state indicate a pattern of coordinated attacks by APC thugs, raising concerns that the party is deliberately using violence to disenfranchise voters in opposition strongholds.
In Unit 3, Ward 8 of Isiuwa, Ovia Northeast, the voting process was halted after APC thugs stormed the polling unit, injuring voters and scattering ballot papers.
A youth observer at the scene, who identified himself as Seun Olola, stated: “This was not a random attack. These thugs have been moving from one polling unit to another, creating havoc.
“Everyone knows the security agencies are working with APC. How can they not be here when we’ve been calling for help since morning? This is a deliberate act to rig the election.”
A community leader from Ikpoba Okha expressed his frustration, saying: “We have always suspected that the APC is working with the security forces to intimidate voters. Now, we are seeing it play out. They want to force us into submission by using violence and fear.”
The growing unrest has sparked outrage from voters and election observers who are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the federal government to urgently deploy security forces to restore order before the election is further compromised.