The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the ongoing election in Ekiti State, Wole Oloyede, has raised serious concerns over the conduct of the exercise, alleging widespread delays in voting and intimidation of voters by security operatives.
Speaking with journalists at his polling unit on Saturday, Oloyede described the accreditation and voting process as painfully slow, inefficient, and capable of disenfranchising eligible voters.
According to him, only a few voters were able to cast their ballots after spending over an hour at the polling unit, a situation he said reflects a recurring pattern in the state’s electoral process.
“The process is actually useless. People have been here for about one and a half hours and only five people have voted in my polling unit. That is what they do all the time,” he said.
He expressed suspicion that something was wrong with the system, insisting that the delays appeared deliberate or poorly managed.
“So I am suspecting that there is something wrong with the process. I am going to hang around. If they are voting five people per hour, that is sad. Something is wrong. They have called the RATC for the last 45 minutes and he hasn’t been here. You cannot disenfranchise these people. It is sad for democracy in Nigeria,” Oloyede added.
Despite his criticisms, the PDP candidate maintained that voters remained calm and determined to participate in the election process.
He also alleged uneven deployment of security personnel, claiming that while some areas had minimal presence, others were heavily militarized in a way that could intimidate voters.
“It is very unfortunate that all I can get here is an army of cameras, whereas down the road where the deputy governor voted, there is an army of policemen there harassing people,” he said.
Oloyede further alleged that security vehicles were being used to exert pressure on voters, insisting that he had evidence to support his claims.
“Gentlemen of the press, go down there and see the army of policemen that are harassing the people. They’re using force vehicles. I checked them, I have evidence of that and I will show you when it is appropriate,” he stated.
He called on journalists and election observers to independently verify the situation, warning that continued delays and perceived intimidation could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.