By Babatunde Ayedoju

The people of Ondo State today trooped out to elect a Governor for the next four years from among the 17 candidates vying for the governorship seat.

The Hope visited several polling units in Ward 4, Akure South Local Government area, where the election was peaceful, and eligible voters exercised their franchise. At the polling units visited, the exercise began with the accreditation of voters using the BVAS machine, after which each voter cast their vote.

Security agencies, such as the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were seen patrolling the various polling units, while personnel from the Nigerian Army were also on the ground to enforce the restriction on vehicular movement.

At polling unit 011, Oke-Ijebu/Edo Lodge, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Jacob Adebo, also known as Idajo, commended voters for their massive turnout and urged them to vote wisely and avoid any form of violence.

Another voter at the polling unit, Mrs Comfort Adewole, described the exercise as peaceful, stating that officials had given elders the chance to vote first.

Discussing voter apathy, she said, “Whether we vote or not, there will always be a winner. Many people have apathy, probably because of past leadership failures, but as a true Nigerian, I came out to perform my civic duty.”

At unit 034, Ijomu/Obanla, a voter, Temitope Ajewole, praised law enforcement agents at the polling unit for the peaceful conduct of the exercise, saying, “As citizens, we should all come out and perform our duties to elect the candidate of our choice.”

Another voter, Oladayo Akomolafe, attributed the low turnout to the ongoing economic hardship in the country, adding that whoever wins the election should do everything necessary to address the issue.

The APC agent at the polling unit, Tawakalitu Babalola, said the election was peaceful and hitch-free, while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) agent for the unit, Abiola Fapohunda, testified that the election so far had been free and fair. Fapohunda urged eligible voters to come out and vote, saying, “Through our votes, we can make the right decision.”

At unit 008, along Ijomu/Oke-Ijebu road, a voter, Olajide Oluwagbemiga, testified that the exercise was going smoothly, despite some voters saying they would not vote unless they were given money.

Attributing voter apathy to fear of violence, Oluwagbemiga said that such fear was unfounded, as there was no violence in the electoral process.

Lawrence Borokini, while praising voters and security agents for the peaceful conduct of the election, noted that the turnout was low. Borokini blamed voter apathy on ignorance, saying, “It’s a matter of choice when people decide not to vote or even get a voter’s card. It also has to do with ignorance, because many of them don’t know the benefits attached to having a voter’s card, beyond voting.”

At unit 012, an observer, who did not disclose their name, said the process was running smoothly and added that they had cautioned those who wanted to engage in misconduct. “I heard that some people were doing ‘see and buy’, but I stopped them when I arrived. Even the AIG was here and he cautioned them,” the observer said.

Some electoral officials who spoke with The Hope under anonymity also testified to the smooth running of the process. At unit 012, one of the officials said that the process was hitch-free, except that the turnout was low. The official mentioned that the number of voters who turned out was less than half of the registered voters, adding that by 11:59 am, they had attended to all those who came to vote.

Also, at unit 030, one of the officials told The Hope that the process was peaceful, but they had encountered problems capturing the faces of some voters.