POLICEMEN on Saturday teargassed political thugs who threatened voters with dangerous weapons at Ile-Ife, Osun State, during the local government election held in the state.
Journalists who were covering the election were also inadvertently teargassed as the hoodlums raced towards the direction of the newsmen.
However, voters moved to designated polling units across local governments and Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs) in Osun State to participate in the first parliamentary local government elections, where councillors were elected during a relatively peaceful exercise.
The development may have been informed by the seeming no-contest in some local governments, LCDAs, including Irewole, Ilesa East, among others as councillorship candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged unopposed.
Election was held in 71 Wards out of 389 Wards.
In units and councils Sunday Tribune visited, the election was generally peaceful except few cases of skirmishes recorded in Ife Ward 3, Iremo in Ile-Ife of Osun East Senatorial District, where policemen fired tear gas canisters at suspected thugs trying to disrupt voting in the area.
Though, the riot policemen were able to restore normalcy after about 15 minutes, the thugs, who ran into the spot, just as journalists who were monitoring the poll were also teargassed.
Sunday Tribune findings showed that accreditation and voting exercise began simultaneously around 8.15 am in most of the polling units and centres visited amidst heavy security presence in Osogbo, the state capital and Ile-Ife.
At Ward 7, in Ilesa East Local Government of the state, where Governor Rauf Aegbesola voted, there was no contest as all the candidates of the APC emerged unopposed.
The chairman of the Accord Party (AP) in the state, Mr Olusegun Fanibe, said there were no electoral officers and voting materials at his polling unit of Ward 7, Unit 3 in Remo Quarters of Ile-Ife.
Former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Sikiru Adetona, described Fanibe’s allegation as false and unfounded, contending that nobody was disenfranchised.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye said “the election is generally peaceful. I don’t have the number of people arrested now. But, the election was generally peaceful. We are still awaiting details of the incident in Ife.