Accusations, counter-accusations hallmark Ekiti governorship poll

Accusations and counter-accusations were the hallmark of the governorship election in Ekiti State on Saturday.
This was largely between the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress, and the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party.
The APC fired the first salvo when it called the attention of Nigerians and the international community to the alleged massive clampdown on the party’s leaders as well as journalists during Saturday’s ongoing governorship election in Ekiti State.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said 23 leaders of the APC were arrested at Egbe-Ekiti and taken to Ikere-Ekiti, two leaders were arrested from Ilawe, while 11 others were picked up from Ado-Ekiti.
It said those arrested at Ado Ward A units 1, 6, 8 and 11 included Charles Fashuba, Tolu Ajayi, Elesun, Olu Hero, Gboyega Fabuero, all of whom were pointed out to security agents by one Femi Ogunleye, a member of the PDP.
The APC said those arrested, who are the party’s leaders at their ward and local governments, were apparently being picked up to prevent them from casting their own votes, monitoring the election and subsequently being present at the collation centres.
The statement said: “Ekiti has witnessed a massive turnout of voters despite the massive deployment of troops and policemen, ostensibly to provide security for the election but in reality to intimidate and harass voters to stay away from the polling units.
“Now that the strategy of the PDP-led federal government has failed despite their over-militarization of the state, they have unleashed security agents on the leaders of the APC to prevent them from monitoring the collation of results.”
The party said the same security agents have also descended on journalists who were duly accredited to cover the election, with at least five of them forcefully taken to the boundary of Ekiti and Kwara States by a detachment of policemen led by Mopol Commander, G.B. Seleke
It listed the affected journalists, who were arrested at Ifaki Ekiti by over 50 mobile policemen, as Jadesola Ajibola of Inspiration FM; Toyin Yusuf, Oyetunji Ojo, Akin Ogunsola, and Aremu Awolola, all of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation.
The APC also said security men, who said they were acting on ”orders from above”, locked out voters and election officials at the Ekiti State Government College, Ado Ekiti (wards 13, unit 18).
The party listed some of the other infractions as including the following:
– The names of APC members are clearly missing on the list brought by INEC officials to Wards 3 and 4 Gbonyin LGA
– Harassment of the fiancee and aged father of the campaign manager of Fayemi, Hon. Bimbola Daramola, by gun-wielding security agents.
– Plan to burn ballot boxes if APC should win ward 2 Ifaki unit 7, LGA Ido-Osi
– Fake soldiers purportedly from the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, acting under the command of PDP chieftains, are harassing and intimidating voters in Ekiti State.
It called on local and international observers to pay urgent attention to the infractions and ensure they are rectified in the interest of a free and fair election in Ekiti State.
Ekiti 2014: Losing APC has resorted to thuggery, harassment of voters
The PDP levelled allegations of a grand plan by the APC to rig the governorship election in Ekiti State.
According to a press statement by the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Pastor A. Oluwawole, in most places in Ekiti State where the APC leaders went, they were welcomed with protests by the voters that they did not want the APC again.
As a result, the statement said the APC has resorted to harassing and beating of voters with their thugs, even in the presence of the police.
For instance in Ado Ekiti, APC members were going round intimidating voters and telling them to swear to oaths before they give them money and indomie.
In Igbimo-Ekiti, the DG of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti, Mojeed Jamiu, was allegedly going around with money and thugs, telling voters to vote their candidate.
Some voters who refused to do his biding were beaten mercilessly, the PDP alleged.
At Ifaki, former Governor Segun Oni, the PDP said, went about with security operatives (police) harassing voters.
Oni was said to be carrying money all over.
He violated the electoral law by moving about, the PDP said.
The statement said further: “At Ikogosi and Erijiyan in Ekiti West, the home state of APC state chairman, Jide Awe, where there was a protest vote going on against the APC, voting is being disrupted by the APC.
“There is also a trend of disruption of Election in PDP strongholds by APC thugs.
“The campaign DG of Fayemi campaign organisation Bimbo Daramola was found campaigning in Ire-Ekiti on Friday after the campaign had closed on Thursday night. He was going around with thugs wielding dangerous weapons.”