The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Wole Oluyede, has raised serious concerns over the slow pace of accreditation and voting at his polling unit, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of process failures and alleging police harassment of voters in Ikere-Ekiti.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday after casting his vote, Mr. Oluyede said voters had waited for about 90 minutes in his unit with only five people accredited. “That’s what they do all the time. So I am suspecting that there’s something wrong with the INEC process,” he said.
Frustration Over Technical Support Delays
The opposition governorship candidate, who voted at Ugele Arokun Ward 3, Unit 6 in Ikere-Ekiti, expressed frustration over delays in deploying technical support. “They have been calling the Registered Area Technical Support (RATECH) for the last 45 minutes. No response. INEC cannot disenfranchise these people. It is sad,” Mr. Oluyede stated, adding that he would remain at the polling unit to monitor the process.
Allegations of Intimidation
Mr. Oluyede, who is the elder brother of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, also alleged intimidation by security operatives near Ikere City Hall. “Go to that place, the Garage axis beside Ikere City Hall, there is an array of policemen harassing people,” he said.
He calculated that at the current pace of five voters per hour, many residents would be unable to cast ballots. “If they are voting five people per hour, that is sad. Something is wrong,” he said.
