How the People’s Will was Suppressed by Guns
In this report, John Paul gives a personal account of what transpired during the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State
The people’s voice against a common enemy was so loud at the polling units, but INEC in cahoots with security agencies constricted the entire process, and what was preordained to be a celebration of democracy ended in mayhem. Even at the detriment of the people’s safety, they trooped out en masse, voted, and the results transferred from polling units to local government collation centres indicated that APC was defeated. It was more apparent when agents representing the ruling party in some polling units, despite trying to woo would-be voters, left the venue while counting was in progress. Others instigated assault with the hope that violence-enmeshed polling units would be annulled. Consequently, ballot boxes at Barrack I Motor Park and Barrack III open space PUs in Egume were destroyed.
In Okura Olafia (Dekina LGA), accreditation/voting began early at various polling units, and by 2 pm, counting of votes commenced with the major opposition, PDP, taking the lead. However, at about 4 pm, INEC officials and ballot boxes, that were being moved from Okura Ward to the collation centre in Anyigba were ambushed by thugs said to be working for the APC.
Save for the intervention of military personnel, the ballot boxes would have been snatched away by the hoodlums, who later converged on Anyigba and held the town hostage, shooting, destroying ballot boxes, and setting ablaze buildings until the following day. Ballot boxes from CMML Primary School PU 009, Odo-Eto PU 005 and Ofe-uloko PU 014 all in Anyigba ward were also destroyed.
In Odu Ogboyega ward 4 PU 001 (Engineer Musa Wada’s polling unit), a fake NSCDC officer was deployed to the polling unit on the eve of the election. He was allegedly assigned to work with the APC agent attached to the PU. But Musa Wada on hearing this alerted the inspector general of police and was also on the ground to make sure people’s votes were protected.
Ironically, contrary to claims by journalists that PDP supporters were caught in massive thumb-printing at the polling unit, APC agent was reported to be involved in vote-buying. Residents/ voters, in turn, commercialized their votes as they roamed polling units collecting money in exchange for votes.
However, would-be voters who collected money from APC, according to reports went ahead to vote for PDP in most cases. Still, in Kogi East Dekina LGA, two persons, Farouk and Shuaibu, were killed in Abocho community by thugs for attempting to prevent them from snatching ballot boxes.
Other people were injured by stray bullets. In Idah Local Government Area, an unidentified electoral officer was said to have died mysteriously. But he died while on a boat trip from Idah town to Ibaji, hit by a stray bullet from rampaging hooligans.