Summary: Tension grips Ejigbo as violence disrupts the Osun governorship election, forcing INEC officials and voters to abandon polling units. Get the full story here.
The Osun governorship election took a dangerous turn in Ejigbo on Saturday as violence broke out at a polling area, sending both INEC officials and voters running for their lives.
Video footage circulated online by Channels TV captured the alarming scenes as what was supposed to be a peaceful democratic exercise descended into disorder, with people scampering in different directions to avoid harm.
Voting was abruptly halted at the affected polling unit as a result of the crisis, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in that axis and the safety of everyone involved — from ad-hoc staff to ordinary Nigerians who had come out to exercise their civic right.
Democracy Under Threat
For many Nigerians, scenes like this are an painful reminder of how political thuggery and election-related violence continue to threaten the nation’s democratic progress. Osun State residents who woke up early, joined queues, and brought their PVCs deserved better than to be chased away from their constitutional right to vote.
As at the time of this report, full details surrounding the cause of the violence and the identities of those responsible were still emerging. Security agencies are expected to respond to restore order and allow voting to continue.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates as more details emerge from Ejigbo and across Osun State.
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