APC Primaries: Pocket of violence, late arrival of election materials characterised exercise

AS members of the ruling, All Progressive Congress (APC) in Osun trooped out to 332 wards in the state to elect governorship candidate of the party on Friday, a pocket of violence and the late arrival of electoral materials characterised the exercise in some parts of Osogbo, under the precinct of Osun Central Senatorial District.

But, when Saturday Tribune visited some communities, including Iragbiji, country home of the Chief of Staff (CoS) to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, who is one of the gubernatorial aspirants, the turn out of voters was impressive with thousands of members converging on polling units to cast their votes.

At St Peters Elementary School, Iragbiji Ward 1, where Oyetola cast his vote, he commended the members of the APC for turning out to exercise their free will in choosing their candidate for the September 22 governorship poll in the state, just as he urged them to be calm, with a view to ensuring the success of the primary election.

But, some hoodlums allegedly attacked one official with axe around ward 1, opposite Laro Timehin Middle School, in Osogbo when they attempted to snatch the result sheet during the exercise.

One of the members of the APC, who witnessed the incident hinted Saturday Tribune that trouble ensued around 2.15 pm when one of the officials was counting members, who had lined up on the queues.

The member, who pleaded anonymity explained that as they were counting members who queued on the line for Gboyega Oyetola and Lasun Yussuf, some thugs who have been lurking around allegedly attacked the official holding result sheet where they would fill the figures with an axe on the head.

He disclosed that the development caused chaos as members who have voted ran in a different direction, adding that prompt arrival of security agents at the scene restored normalcy while the victim of the attacker was taken away on a motorcycle to an undisclosed location.

Reacting over the incident, the director of publicity, research and strategy of the APC in Osun, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi said he had not received the reports of the incident, saying he could only comment when he gets details of the matter.

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Meanwhile, there were alleged cases of vote buying as one of the voters, who was not a member of the APC confided in our correspondent that she received membership card on Thursday night to vote with a promise of N10,000, saying that with the disruption of the exercise in Ward 1 at Laro hope od getting the money have been dashed.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that voting did not start until 12.00pm in most of the wards in Modakeke, which is one of the communities in Osun East Senatorial District of the state.