Gunmen on Saturday disrupted the collation of votes at Polling Unit 1, Ward 2, in the Ogo-Oluwa area of Osogbo, Osun State, after allegedly opening fire and making away with some ballot papers.
The incident occurred at the Golf Junction area shortly after voting had ended and counting was about to commence at the polling unit.
Witnesses said about eight masked men arrived at the scene and fired shots sporadically, forcing voters and others around the polling unit to scamper for safety.
Security personnel attached to the polling unit reportedly managed to secure part of the election materials, while the gunmen allegedly seized and fled with some of the ballot papers.
The identities of the attackers could not immediately be independently established, although an eyewitness alleged that the men were affiliated with the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The eyewitness told DAILY POST that the incident occurred at a polling unit where the Accord Party was believed to have significant support.
The witness alleged that the attackers were attempting to disrupt the process because of the expected outcome of the election at the unit.
The witness said, “The police managed to secure some of the ballot papers, but the thugs absconded with the remainder.”
Meanwhile, the Presiding Officer at the polling unit reportedly attributed the delay in the commencement of vote counting to voters who arrived late but insisted on casting their ballots.
The disruption subsequently heightened tension in the area as security personnel moved to restore order.
As of the time of filing the report, there was no independent confirmation of the allegation linking the attackers to the APC, while details of the number of ballot papers taken and the impact of the incident on the polling unit’s result remained unclear.
