By Akinwale Kasali
There was palpable tension at the Saturday, 29th May 2021, the All Progressives Congress, APC, primaries in which election was held in only Ward A as the primaries was disrupted in other Wards.
However, investigation has revealed that the Ojodu LCDA Chairman, Hon. Julius Oloro, was the architect of the crisis that emanated in the LCDA leading to the disruption of the Primaries.
Indicting Hon. Oloro, Adelaja Omotoyosi, the Chairman Electoral Officer for Ward E, narrated what ensued prior to the Primaries.
In his words, "Let me start from how I got there. At around some minutes past 12pm on this fateful day. I received a call from the party chairman(Ajakaye) himself. On the phone,I was informed that I am one of those who are chosen as electoral officers. And also I was told that I am the chairman of the electoral team while Mr. Yemi (surname forgotten) is the secretary and Mr. Sheu Awolumate is a member. I was also told that training will take place later in the day by 4pm at the LGA.
"I was not close by as at the time of the call. So I tried all I could to meet up with the training. So I got to the LGA around half past 4pm (4:30). The meeting had not commence,everyone was just settling down. And I want to believe most of us have other things we do aside politics,so some others might have had other engagement before the impromptu call which may not have been easy to meet up.
"On the fore front were the trainers in which Hon. MKO Akindele was one of them and he happened to be the only one I really know among them all. Initially they were two men and in the cause of the training the 3rd person walked in who happened to be a lady...she was introduced to us all. Then before the training commenced proper....the list that they were given was in their hands as they call out the names on the list. And from Ward B.
"They called my name... Yemi (surname) then called out one Oredeko as the 3rd person instead of the initial name of Sheu Awolumate that the LGA chairman told me over the phone. So unfortunately the other two were not present but Sheu Awolumate whose name was strike out was present.
"Then 3 persons stood up ( GAB,Bilikis Bello and one other Lady) and claimed to av come from ward B and said their names were not called. Then the other trainer asked them to excuse us that they were not shortlisted. They went out made calls then one of them came back in to give the phone to one of the trainers,then the list was altered and two of their names were slotted in (GAB & Bilikis) and they asked the other lady and Sheu Awolumate whose name was originally on the list to go home. They left and we were given the guidelines and we all left. In other words,nothing spectacular or new was done.
"All electoral officers present will attest to this if they have the fear of God in them all. I was expecting calls for directive the previous day friday and I didn't get it. So in the early hours of the election day,I was on a motorbike to Eid( the Muslim praying ground where my ward will be having the election when a call came in from the LGA vice chairman asking me to report to the LGA,so I asked the bike man to divert the journey. I got there and immediately the Vice asked me to call Yemi and Sheu that I will be working with them. I collected their call details from the list with him and put calls through to the guys and they came.
"So while the materials and returning officers were no where to be found and info said it has been taken the council by the council chairman ....most of us put calls through to our leaders and after 2hours when the materials finally arrived at the LGA with The council chairman bringing the returning officer and the materials. Hon. Ajala and Hon. Bunmi Oluyadi(Tear) came on board to see things.
"Then, Names of the electoral officers from each ward was called. Then when the turn got to ward B. The initial names were called and not the altered ones. Then GAB and Bilikis started making troubles that they were d ones who were trained. The LGA chairman(Ajakaye) came out to say he is the only one who has the right to give list of those who are to conduct the election and he has done that with the original list. Issues started as they kept creating scene.
"Then Sheu Awolumate was asked to go home again. Meanwhile One Oredeko name was exchanged by the council chairman against Sheu's name but the person was absent...then the council chairman replaced the Oredeko with GAB,his name was never on the original list the LGA chairman gave.....so after the council chairman squeezed him ,it was myself,Yemi & GAB that were finally picked. Then the person the council had chosen from Ward A was not present too. So the council chairman again asked Bilikis of Ward B to go stand in at Ward A. So we were all given materials and left for the various ward we were assigned to. Tear & AJ made sure things were in other at the LGA and they both left afterwards. I wonder what they did wrong there?", He said.
Stressing further, Adelaja recounted what happened at Ward E Voting Centre, he said, "When we got there. We asked for all the Aspirant agents,we all familiarized with one another...gave them necessary info. Then when we were about to start the process. We discovered that the names were not well arranged. So it was agreed that we sort out all the register alphabetically first. We did that and found out we could not get Alphabet A...so we found it. While bringing it out,the agents declined we can't use it because it carried about four persons in a page which was not making the pictures too revealing. So they decline we can't use it.
"Hon. Yomi Balogun suggested we asked all members to queue behind the placard of their candidates then we vote. Some agreed and some did not,While we were trying to settle amicably and putting calls to the returning officer on what next to do.
"Then Cardinal Odunbaku known as Baba Eto walked in and immediately the atmosphere changed as 98% of people present there were shouting *Baba eto ole(Baba Eto thief)"*. It became so serious that his security personnel had to guide him out of the venue. At this point,most people who came to vote already took to their heels at the speed the issue was going. So,the agents later came up to say most of their members had gone home so there can't be any election in place.
"It was dragged but later agreed to sign a written agreement to that effect in which I drafted the letter and they all signed. Hon Yomi Balogun signed as a witness too,the letters was dropped inside the ballot box for the Returning officer to see" .
He however concluded that Some persons came up again to say the ballot papers must be destroyed or crossed to be void, which we disagreed on, forcing them to attack us and trying to harm them.
It took the intervention of the Police
who arrested the situation and rescued them out of the venue.
No comments:
Post a Comment