The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, has expressed concern over the alleged invasion of some polling units by suspected thugs in Edo State.
The polling units invaded, according to him, are at Uluoke and Ogbido, both in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.
Oshiomhole disclosed this shorty after casting his vote at about 2:20pm in his polling Unit 1, Ward 10 in Iyamoh in Etsako West Local Government Area on Saturday.
He alleged that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party brought thugs to disrupt the voting process in the area, adding that security officers had to restore normalcy before voting could continue.
He said: “We have some few reported incidents.
“You know last week it was clear that the whole of this area was 99 per cent APC.
“So I believe PDP leaders sent thugs to cause disruption in the next village where we got 99 per cent during last elections.
“They brought thugs and they started shooting to disrupt the process.
“Unfortunately, the people are determined to vote and I understand that voting has resumed.
“PDP leaders led the thugs to disrupt election at Uluoke and Ogbido with the same pattern, trying to cart away election materials again.
“But the youths in the area stopped them.
“I understand that the situation is under control in those locations.”
The national chairman said there was the need for the military to be involved in election monitoring due to frequent snatching of ballot boxes and disruption of election processes by political thugs.
He said: “That is why when some people are talking against or disputing the idea of deploying the military for elections, only enemies of democracy and enemies of peace will support that kind of campaign.
“Imagine when just two policemen not armed are in a polling unit.
“What can they do when thugs invade the polling centres with sophisticated weapons?
“They will watch helplessly.
“If not that we have the army that are on patrol, things would have gotten out of hands.”
He, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for a peaceful process, adding that the commission did a perfect arrangement in ensuring that the was hitch-free.
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