Minutes By Minutes Report On Osun Rerun

LAGOS SEPTEMBER 27TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The seven polling units where today’s elections take place are Ife North, Ward 10, PU2; Ife South, Olode Ward 07, PU12, Adereti Village; Ife South Osi Ward 8 PU10, Aluti Erin Primary School, Albert village; Orolu Ward 08 PU001, Kajola village; Orolu Ward 08 PU004 Idi Iya village; Orolu Ward 09 PU 003 Gbogbo Primary School Adeleke; Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017 Adewale Street.
There’s a total of 3,498 registered voters in the affected polling units.
12:33pm: Police officers arrested a man perceived to be obstructing the voting process at the Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017. Three men were also arrested for allegedly carrying charms and banned substances.
12:09pm: Police officers shot into the air to disperse the crowd following issues of attempted vote buying at the Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017. Voters returned to queue to cast their votes shortly afterward.
12:04pm: There have been several reliable reports that the polling units in Orolu, considered to be the stronghold of the PDP, are scenes of widespread irregularities. Thugs are reported to scare, harrass and physically assault voters suspected to be PDP members while security operatives do little to control the situation.
Journalists and observers are also heavily monitored by security operatives while alleged thugs are reported to have taken over Orolu Ward 08 PU001 in Kajola village.
Some voters in Orolu LG protested after their permanent voter’s cards (PVC) were seized by gun-wielding thugs and they were sent away.
Three members of the Nigerian Bar Association observer group were arrested by policemen at Ifon on their way to monitor the rerun election in some of the polling units in Orolu LGA. They were later released.
11:56am: Situation Room reports that no PDP agent is present at Orolu Ward 08 PU001 as PDP members are denied entry by security operatives. The path leading to the polling unit has also been occupied by police vans.
11:37am: With voting ongoing, PDP candidate, Senator Adeleke, has described the rerun election as a coup against democracy.
“What is happening in Osun State now is not an election. What we have is a coup. That is what we are witnessing now.
“Our supporters are being harassed and are not allowed to vote at all. Let the whole world know that this is not democracy,” he told The Punch.
11:34am: INEC officials at Ife South, Olode Ward 07, PU12 are waiting on more voters to show up at the unit with no voters on the queue.
10:41am: A man was caught with money trying to buy votes at the Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017 and was apprehended by security operatives.
10:36am: Voting is ongoing at Ife South, Olode Ward 07, PU12, with around 30 people on the queue waiting to cast their votes. According to Situation Room, the road to the PU that was previously blocked has been re-opened for free movement of commuters.
10:26am: INEC has expressed its frustration with reports of security operatives hindering observers and journalists and disclosed that discussions are ongoing.
“INEC is disturbed about reports that accredited media and observers are being arrested or prevented from operating in some polling units. This is being taken up with the security agencies,” the agency tweeted.
10:10am: An election observer accredited by INEC was arrested by police officers and prevented from going to observe the conduct of the election in Orolu. She returned to Osogbo.
09:49am: The queue at the Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017 keeps growing as the rainfall has finally stopped.
09:40am: After at least two people were caught at the Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017 trying to vote with wrong PVCs, police officers have started chasing away people who have no business at the polling unit.
“If you have nothing to do here, find your level now!” an officer commanded.
09:26am: There are reports that hoodlums are turning back voters at Orolu Ward 08 PU001. Police officers are doing their best to restore order.
09:18am: Voters have started casting their votes at the Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017 as it continues to rain. A woman, while drenched, remarked, “Nothing go stop us today.”
09:15am: Voters ran for shelter after it started raining in Osogbo, but have returned to queue in the heavy rain.
09:02am: The streets housing all polling units have been barricaded by a detachment of stern looking police officers. Movement into streets isn’t allowed unless you are from the media or an election observer.
08:10am: There’s already a long queue of voters at the Osogbo Ataoja Ward 05 PU 017 waiting to cast their votes.
All the shops in the capital Osogbo are locked and only a few bikes are on the roads.

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