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Sunday, February 26, 2023

Ogun: Voting marred by late arrival of electoral materials in Obafemi/Owode

Mr Ijalaye said he transporters that were contracted to help move electoral materials to the affected Local Government Area disappointed.

• February 25, 2023
Voters waiting on queue at Obafemi Owode, Ogun State
Voters waiting on queue at Obafemi Owode, Ogun State

While voting had already ended in most parts of Abeokuta, voters in nearby Obafemi Owode LGA were still awaiting electoral officers and materials as of 2:00 p.m.

At the time Peoples Gazette visited, voting just commenced at Unit 10, Ward 7; Unit 9, Ward 1; Unit 24, Ward 7; and Unit 23, Ward 7, all inside the compound of Obafemi Owode  Local Government Nursery and Primary School, Ita Baale, Adigbe, in Obafemi Owode LGA.

At Unit 32, Ward 7, Oba area , Ward 7, Unit 29 and Unit 8 Asapode area of Obafemi Owode LGA, the story was the same. In fact, the voters in these two polling units were already apprehensive, putting the electoral officers under intense pressure when they eventually arrived at 2:10 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ogun State, Niyi Ijalaye, in an interview with journalists, explained that the late arrival of electoral materials was due to logistics challenge.

Mr Ijalaye said he transporters that were contracted to help move electoral materials to the affected Local Government Area disappointed.

“It is true we experienced delay in the arrival of electoral materials due to the  disappointments by the transporters who agreed to help us transport the materials. It took the help of some security officers who gave us their vehicles for us to arrive here now”, Mr Ijalaye said.

The electoral chief, who saw what happened as a sabotage, however, promised that voting time would be extended beyond designated time of 2:30 p.m. in the affected LGA.

“Now that things has turned out this way, we are definitely going to extend the voting time until the last person on the queue cast his vote,” he promised.

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