APC Congress: Thugs Take Over Voting Centre In Osogbo

Some members of the All Progressives Congress in Ward 4, Osogbo Local Government of the State of Osun, have said that some political thugs allegedly working for Governor Adegboyega Oyetola took over the Collation Centre for the Ward Congress of the party holding today.

According to the members, the Union Baptist Primary School, Odi-Olowo, Osogbo, which was supposed to be used for the congress was populated with hoodlums who had arrived the venue as early as 7 am.

The APC members said the school was not also opened for the exercise in spite of the large turnout of enthusiastic party men and women.

However, the APC members said they held their congress with the aid of the police who provided security for them at the front of the school.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, one of the APC members, Mr Isa Idowu Maruf said: “Some of us got here (Union Baptist Primary School, Odi-Olowo, Osogbo, around 7am and we met these thugs smoking Indian hemp. The school was also locked but member of the APC were coming in large number for the congress.

“When we discovered that the thugs were increasing in number and threatening to attack us, we called on the police and they provided security for us. The thugs told us that they have instruction from Governor Adegboyega Oyetola not to allow congress to hold.

“We waited till around 12:30pm before we started the congress in the presence of the police. The police witnessed it and we gave them the result. We did not see any official from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) till that time.”

Similar thing was said to have also happened at L.A Primary School, Oluode Aranin, Ita Olookan, Osogbo, the voting centre for Ward 8, where some thugs had converged as early 6am to prevent the APC members from participating in the congress.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the APC members diverted the hoodlums’ attention by going to another place.

According to some of the APC members, the hoodlums left the school, thinking that they would not come back.

The APC members said they came to the venue en mass to conduct their congress which was witnessed by INEC official and policemen.

However, the congress was peacefully held at Ward 5 and 9, Osogbo, as police and INEC official witnessed the exercise conducted at Salvation Army School, Alekuwodo and an open space beside Public Toilet, Ibokun Road, (Ilepo Kajola Junction) respectively.

But some APC members said they were not allowed to vote in Ward 11, alleging that some hoodlums came to chase them away at St Andrews Primary School, OKe-Baale, which is the Collation Centre for the Ward.

After chasing them away, the APC members said some government officials came with security men and another batch of hoodlums and read a list of names of the people they wanted as party executive members at the ward.