Oyo holds election in 33 LGAs amid voter apathy

The 2024 local government election in Oyo State has experienced a low turnout of voters, even with the participation of the nineteen registered political parties.

Additionally, the accreditation of voters commenced late in some local government areas, including Oluyole, due to the late arrival of election materials. However, no record of violence has been received from any of the polling booths across the state.

This was further confirmed by the Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, who led a combined team of security operatives and relevant stakeholders, including the Chairman of Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Aare Olagunju, to monitor the election in selected areas in Ibadan.

It had been earlier reported that over 12,000 security operatives, excluding the military, were deployed to monitor the election in the 33 local government areas.

Hamzat stated that no reports of electoral violence had been received from the officers on duty, even though there were complaints that had been resolved.

“In Ibadan metropolis, everything is proceeding peacefully so far. In the hinterland, we also have people there and everything is okay, but I cannot say it’s entirely okay because we have had a few complaints, which is normal in an election,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police mentioned that the complaints received from other parts of the state had been resolved. He urged the electorate to come out massively to exercise their civil rights to elect people who would govern them.

Hamzat assured them of adequate security before, during, and after the election.

Those in the company of the Commissioner of Police included Augustine Padonu, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdulraheem Salami, Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), and Deputy Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayode Olugbesan.

Others present were the State Controller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).