By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

Tension heightened in Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun State on Saturday, as one person was reportedly killed amid the ongoing 2025 local government election in the state.

The tragic incident, Weekend Hope gathered, occurred around Iyemogun, along Wesley Hospital Road in Ilesa.

However, as of the time of filing the report, the identity of the deceased was yet to be confirmed.

A police source who confirmed the development, disclosed that investigations were ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has raised the alarm over the sealing of the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo by armed security operatives.

Abioye, while speaking on a live radio current affairs programme monitored on Saturday, expressed shock over the development, insisting that despite the police action, the election had commenced across all polling units in the state.

“I leave the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in the hands of God. Elections are ongoing across the state, but from the reports I have received, police presence is not visible at the polling units,” Abioye lamented.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Police had earlier cautioned the state government against proceeding with the poll, citing security threats and legal implications.

When our correspondent visited the OSSIEC headquarters in Osogbo, armed police officers were stationed at the entrance, while reports indicated that some OSSIEC staff had gone into hiding for fear of being arrested over the conduct of the election, despite police warnings.

In a video obtained by Weekend Hope, Abioye maintained that the electoral process was progressing smoothly, contrary to police concerns.

“So far, so good. The reports have been positive. The election has been peaceful and well-conducted. However, we have received disturbing reports of police arresting our officials. I do not know who ordered the arrests, but I want to assure our people that materials have been deployed to all polling units, and voting is ongoing,” he said.

Abioye further apologised to members of the media over the inadequate provision of accreditation tags and jackets, attributing the shortfall to the sealing of the OSSIEC office by security operatives.

As of the time of filing the report, vote counting had been concluded, with results awaiting official announcement.

However, Weekend Hope observed that the local government election was characterised by a poor turnout of voters, with several polling units deserted.

In many parts of the state, there was a noticeable absence of ad hoc staff of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), further compounding the low participation recorded in the exercise.

In Osogbo, the state capital, polling units located in areas such as Ogo-Oluwa, Alekunwodo, Olaiya, and Oja-Oba were largely devoid of voters, OSSIEC personnel, and security operatives as of 9:15 a.m.

It was also observed that the voters’ register was not displayed at some polling centres, raising concerns among the few electorates who showed up.