Obi faults electoral process as FG tighten security in Southwest

Peter Obi, vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), has faulted the electoral process which he described as “clumsy”.

Obi said this shortly after voting in his ward in Agulu, Anambra state, on Saturday morning.

He said although it takes time to get accredited and vote, it is “too early” to comment on the general election.

“The system is still a bit clumsy. You were here and you saw the time it took me; some of the things were not proper including the ink,” he said.

Asked to confirm the news that some PDP chieftains were harassed and “probably whisked away” on Friday evening, Obi replied in the affirmative.

“Most of them were harassed including myself,” he said, adding: “Yes, it happened. It spells trouble for the country.”

Meanwhile, there was tight security across many South West states on Saturday as voters trooped out to exercise their franchise.

In Ibadan, a correspondent who went round the metropolis around 7.30 am reports that security presence were noticed at various junctions to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.

As at 7.30am, security personnel were seen around Mokola, Sabo, Oke-Bola, Oke-Ado, Challenge areas of Ibadan, performing stop and search operations to curtail unnecessary vehicular movement.

In Abeokuta, the Ogun capital, there was a heavy presence of security personnel across major roads.

Correspondents who monitored the security situation across the three senatorial districts report that armed policemen and personnel of sister security agencies such as the NSCDC, NDLEA , FRSC and the state-owned traffic enforcement agency were sighted at strategic locations.

Military personnel were also sighted on the highways including Lagos-Abeokuta Road, Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Road, Sagamu – Interchange Junction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as well as the Sango/Ijoko/Agbado road.

The Osun Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said that problem-prone areas had been identified in the state and necessary arrangements made to forestall any possible violence.

Oyeyemi who declined comments on the number of police officials deployed in the state said additional three Commissioners of Police were deployed in the state to supervise security in each of the three senatorial districts.

In Ikole, Ekiti, the police also tightened security across the nooks and crannies of the community, especially at the polling units and wards in Ikunri, Oke-Ijebu and Elekole’s palace ahead of the polls.

In Ilorin, there was also heavy presence of some policemen on major roads in Ilorin as early as 6. 30 am, while vehicles and commercial motorcyclists made brisk business in the early hours.