Low turnout mars Ibadan North bye-election

Saturday’s Ibadan North Federal Constituency bye-election was marred by low turnout.

The exercise also witnessed heavy deployment of soldiers, policemen and ancillary security personnel.
Our reporter’s movement round the local government, one of the biggest in the South-West of Nigeria, showed that voters failed to turn out in droves, despite that electoral officers arrived at most polling booths as early as 7:45 a.m.

For instance, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad-hoc staff arrived most polling units in Mokola area with electoral materials before 8:00 a.m.
At Ward 6 Unit 019, Agoro House, Kabiawu Street, Mokola, only 15 votes were cast as of 2:41 p.m. when counting was done.

However, in some polling units, like Idi Omo, Yemetu (Ward 4 Unit 24, where former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dada Abiodun Awoleye, voted, there was very impressive turnout of voters.
The same was observed at Agbowo, other parts of Yemetu, Oke Aremo, etc.
Some of the dignitaries who spoke with journalists during the exercise confirmed the low turnout, but said the exercise was peaceful and well run.

This was with the exception of the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Dexter Akin-Alamu, who complained that vote buying was openly done within the University of Ibadan where he voted.
Speaking on the exercise, former deputy governor of the state, Barrister Azeem Gbolarumi, expressed satisfaction with the conduct.

“You can see it for yourself that security is well coordinated. We haven’t any rancour in Agbowo area; and we haven’t heard of report of any elsewhere.
“The exercise is satisfactory,” he said
Honourable Awoleye also told journalists that no incident was recorded as voters voted in a rancour-free environment.
As of the time of filing this report, counting of votes was still ongoing at a few polling units within the local government.