Ekiti Guber: PDP candidate decries INEC delays, alleges vote manipulation
Ekiti Gubernatorial Candidate Claims Voter Intimidation, Process Delays
By Dayo Johnson, Ado Ekiti
Dr. Wole Oluyede, the gubernatorial candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, has raised concerns about alleged voter intimidation and significant delays in the electoral process at his polling unit in Osaguru Hall, Unit 6, Ward 3, Ikere-Ekiti.
After casting his vote, Oluyede criticized the slow pace of voting, noting that only a few voters had been processed more than an hour after polls opened.
The candidate accused security personnel on-site of intimidating voters, stating that some were operating in unofficial vehicles. He claims to have documented these incidents and intends to present the evidence when appropriate.
“I feel very unfortunate that all I can see here is a handful of cameras, whereas down the road, where the deputy governor votes, there is an army of policemen harassing people,” Oluyede said.
He continued, “You should go there and see the army of policemen that are harassing people. They are using false vehicles. I have taped them and will provide the evidence at the right time. This is unacceptable.”
Oluyede expressed skepticism about the integrity of the voting process, citing the limited number of voters who had been able to cast their ballots. “People have been here for about an hour and a half, and only five people have voted in my polling unit. I suspect something is wrong with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) process.”
He also noted that a technical support representative had not arrived for 45 minutes, further complicating the situation. “You cannot disenfranchise these people. It is a sad day for democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
