Osun Election: BVAS Glitches, Voter Intimidation Claims, And Heavy Security Mark Polls In Osogbo And Ede

The ongoing governorship election in Osun State has witnessed a mix of early voter turnout, technical challenges with accreditation devices, and allegations of voter intimidation across major towns, particularly in Osogbo and Ede.

Voting commenced across polling units in the state on Saturday, with a heavy presence of security personnel observed in strategic locations.

At Igbalaye Street, Oke-Baale Ward 7 Unit 7, the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, cast his vote.

He raised concerns about the early morning performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System at his polling unit, noting that the machine was initially slow.

He confirmed that his team had reached out to the Independent National Electoral Commission regarding the issue. Igbalaye also disclosed that reports from other locations, including Freedom Park, indicated incidents of voter intimidation allegedly being carried out by political thugs.

He specifically mentioned an individual identified as Asiri Eniba in connection with the alleged incidents.

The SSG stated that calls had been made to relevant security agencies regarding the reported intimidation and expressed confidence that they were responding accordingly.

In Ede North, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and ICT, Tunde Salam, spoke at Unit 6, Oloba Atapara ward.

He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise in that area, describing the voter turnout as impressive.

He also acknowledged a delay in the BVAS process at the early hours of voting, which caused some voters to wait before being cleared to cast their ballots.

Brigadier General Bashir Adewimbi (retd.), the former Corps Commandant of the Amotekun in Osun, mentioned that there were reports of violence against voters in some areas but stated that the situation was being handled.

He alleged that thugs sponsored by the opposition party were attacking supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The Special Adviser on Politics to Governor Adeleke, Alhaji Raji Munirudeen, raised a complaint regarding delays in certain areas, which he attributed to the inadequacy of voter registers.

He noted that Olohunda ward 8, which carries the largest number of voters, was particularly affected, warning that such delays could lead to the disenfranchisement of a significant number of voters.

Early turnout of voters was reported across both towns, with residents arriving at polling units as early as 6:45 a.m. in some locations.

In Osogbo, at Ward 4, Unit 13, voters were seen waiting for electoral officials as early as 6:50 a.m.

However, widespread concerns over BVAS technical flaws were reported, with officials clarifying that accreditation could be done through either fingerprint or facial recognition, and that one could be used if the other failed.

The situation in Osogbo also saw some voters stranded after discovering their names were missing from the voter register, raising concerns about disenfranchisement.

The election is being conducted under a heavy security umbrella, with police and military personnel deployed to maintain order and deter violence.

The outcome of the polls in Osogbo, a key voting demographic, is considered crucial in deciding the overall result of the election.