Elections 2015: APC cries out over disruptions of poll in Lagos, Rivers, Ondo States

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the security agencies to rescue the situation over cases of violence and disruption of voting in several areas of Lagos, Rivers and Ondo states.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party claimed that in many parts of Lagos, thugs armed by the PDP are on rampage, shooting sporadically to scare away voters and carting away voting materials.

It said the development confirmed earlier statements by the APC that the PDP has been engaging in gun running in Lagos, with a view to arming thugs to disrupt the polls.

APC said there were instances of electoral malpractices in some areas of Lagos.

The party said PDP thugs went “on rampage in Abule Okuta area of Bariga LCDA. Their sporadic shootings have disrupted the accreditation exercise in the area as INEC officials, voters and residents scamper for safety.”

It also alleged that “PDP thugs are harassing and intimidating APC agents, and INEC officials are refusing to show result sheets to APC agents who demand such. There are fears that those results sheets may have been handed over to PDP. PDP agents storm Polling Units in Apapa Ward.”

APC also insisted that there were no INEC officials in polling units at Ogudu, an area it claimed was its stronghold.  It also said that the PDP officials were moving round Lagos metropolis intimidating voters with armed members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and that ballot boxes were snatched at Eti-Osa and Ikorodu areas of the state.

“Police in Iyana Ipaja arresting intending voters holding PVCs and locking them up in police stations, thus preventing their accreditation. Electoral materials hijacked in many Polling Units in Ibeju Lekki. PDP thugs waylay INEC officials, vowed to kill them if they come to the polling units,” APC said.

In Rivers, the APC said the PDP had created the atmosphere conducive for voters’ intimidation and harassment.

It said that “over 50 soldiers have been posted to Nyesom Wike’s residence in Old GRA area of Port Harcourt” and that “the troops have been harassing people in the area.”

“Home of Commissioner for Women Affairs in Rivers State, Joeba West was set ablaze in Buguma. INEC registration area centre in Kalabari National College in Buguma was also set torched. Police patrol vehicle was burnt in Buguma by suspected PDP thugs,” said in the statement.

APC also raised alarm about the snatching of electoral materials in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State by  Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan whose on is a candidate of the PDP.