Voters barricade electoral body’s office in Ondo, allege rigging of poll

• 26-year-old boy declared missing
Hundreds of voters from Ondo West and Ondo East local councils of Ondo State yesterday barricaded the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the commission to cancel the result of March 9, 2019 House of Assembly poll.

The protesters arrived at Akure, the state capital, in droves and mobilised over 10 buses to express their grievances against the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidates.

The gate of INEC office was locked and security operatives were stationed around to monitor the protest as the people carried placards with various inscriptions, “Our people were maimed,” “INEC stop playing God”, among others.

The opposition parties in the state, African Democratic Congress (ADC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), African Action Alliance (AAC) and ANRP had jointly held a press conference to reject the result of the election before proceeding to INEC office.

The leader of the coalition, Chief Segun Adegoke, noted that the election witnessed widespread violence and intimidation across the two councils in Ondo Kingdom.

Adegoke, who hinged the call for cancellation of the poll on alleged intimidation and harassment of voters, massive financial inducement of electorate and act of brigandage, lamented that some persons in the Kingdom breached the peace accord and efforts put in place by the Osemawe-in-Council to ensure the election was violence-free.

Meanwhile, a 26-year-old boy, Ebenezer Adegboyega Adetokunbo, from Ward 9 in Ondo West Local Council, has been declared missing by his parents and relatives.

According to the father of the boy, Mr. Rufus Adegboyega Adetokunbo (65), who was among protesters with the picture of his son, the whereabouts of the boy is unknown till press time.

Ebenezer, according to him, left home to cast his vote around Ayeyemi Junction in Ondo City and never returned home.

He, however, said that information reaching him suggested that some armed men in military uniform waylaid him and whisked him away.

“I am begging INEC and Ondo State government to help me search for my son as he is an easy going child and only went out to exercise his civic right as a responsible and patriotic Nigerian,” he said.