Ondo commissioner, LG boss arrested with arms, ammunition, ACN insists

The Action Congress of Nigeria is insisting that the Ondo State Commissioner for Special Duties, Niran Sule, and the Chairman of Owo Local Government Area, Hon. Tunji Ojomo, were arrested and stripped naked after they were found with six AK-47 guns in the early hours of Saturday.
The ACN, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Sule and Ojomo have been taken to Akure, the state capital, for interrogation.
But the state government has dismissed the claim as mere rumour.
Mohammed, in the statement, also alleged that agents of the party in several polling units, including Mr. Kolawole Babawale of Ondo West, Ward 4 Unit 6, are being barred from the polling units because the Independent National Electoral Commission made a mistake by not inserting ‘ACN’ in the agents’ tags it issued to him.
He said Babawale is being threatened with arrest.
The ACN also pointed out the inavailability of election materials in some areas.
It said at Units 13 and 14, Apoi III in Ese Odo Local Government Area, there were no materials as at 9.50am.
The same it said applied to Ugbo Ward I, Ilaje.
The party said Idanre Ward 1, Aladura Polling Unit, a notorious thug known as AJAJA has gone on “rampage and he is perpetrating violence in and around the polling unit and the entire local government.”
Other issues catalogued by the party are:
At Irele ward 7, Units 4, 6, 17 and 18 – No security agents and no form EC60M are available in all the polling units of the ward.
At Ese Odo LG ward 1 Unit 11 – Election materials are yet to be brought and no election officials as at 10.45am.
At Okitipupa LG, Ayeka Ward Unit 6 – INEC personnel are nowhere to be seen.
At Akoko North-east Edo Ward Unit 4 – An LP supporter came with photo copied voters’ card to be accredited.
At Okitipupa LG Ward 2 Unit 6 – ACN members are being denied accreditation by the Caretaker Chairman, Hon. Ogunmade.
At Iramuje Commander Village of Idanre local government – Suspected political thugs working with Gov. Olusegun Mimiko and the Labour Party have attacked and chased away all the electorates in and a guy was also shot by the hoodlums.
At odi olowo in Akure – No voting materials and there are long queues.
The party has also called on the security agencies and INEC to urgently beef up security in Idanre, where suspected Labour Party thugs are reported to have exploited the inadequate security to scare away ACN voters.
Mohammed said from the party’s situation room, he could confirm that the armed thugs were attacking the party’s agents and intimidating its supporters, especially in the rural areas, so that the Labour Party can have a free rein in the area.
The party said: ”If those saddled with the responsibility of providing adequate security are unable to do so, and many voters are disenfranchised because of that, then the election in the area cannot be adjudged free and fair. If thugs acting in support of the Labour Party are given a free rein and agents and voters of the ACN are scared away from the polling units, the election in the area cannot be adjudged to be credible, on the grounds of technical exclusion.
”It is the responsibility of INEC and security agencies to ensure that every voter has access to the polling units. This is why we are calling on all concerned to act fast if the election in the area is not be discredited.”
The ACN also alleged insecurity and irregularities as the poll progressed.
Mohammed said inadequate security has been reported in many localities in Ondo State, with the worst-hit areas being Idanre and Okitipupa.
In Idanre, for example, he said thugs on motorcycles are harassing voters and agents of the opposition.
He equally pointed at reports of stuffed ballot boxes being moved to polling booths with the protection of Labour Party thugs.
He added that the widespread insecurity has led to apprehension by voters and there is the need for security agencies to urgently deploy additional security to the affected areas.