Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Despite some hitches that characterized the Presidential and National Assembly in Oyo State, the election was relatively peaceful as voters turned out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

Some of the problems encountered during the election include late arrival of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials and voting materials, missing names on voters’ registers, card reader mal-functioning and protest by some call members over nonpayment of allowances.

Some of the areas that experienced late arrival of INEC officials and materials include, a large part of Akinyele Local Government including Laniba, Ajibode, Ikereku, Pade, Shasha, Arulogun and some part of Oluyole including wards 10, unit 4, 5, 7 and 8, Lagelu local Government Area including Monatan ward 5, unit 4, ward 8, unit 36 and ward 8, unit 49, where INEC officials and materials arrived at 12 noon and election started at around 1pm.

At Ikolaba collation centre, election materials arrived at 10am for distribution to INEC officials, who would have to start finding their ways to the various polling centres. Some corps members were seen protesting at Ikolaba collation centre saying that they would not participate in the election process if their allowances were not fully paid.

In some of the polling units at Lagelu LG, INEC staff had arrived around 7:30am and election commenced as scheduled at 8am. For instance, Mr Akinyele A. O at ward 2, unit 30 said that he voted at 8:05am.

In some polling units at Adeyi, Bodija, voters whose names fall within the alphabet A-H were unable to vote as the card readers could not recognize their names while the rest from alphabet I- Z cast their vote without any problem.

Also, in ward 3, unit, some voters complained that names with Alphabet S could not find their names on the voters register. An affected voter, Mr Salami Mufutau, was visibly agitated as he could not cast his vote.

At Idi Igba ward 3, unit 6, two voters could not find their names on the voters register. One of them, Mrs Yekinni Moriamo, who is around 60 years of age, hanged around the polling unit as she said that she would wait till the end of the election to find out if the INEC officers could allow her to vote. Also Mr Olasunkanmi Kayode and Mr Lana Oluseyi at ward 3, unit 1 could not find their names on the voters register.

At Kufi ward 2, unit 8, one Mr Oladele Gbolagade was de-enfranchised because his name could not be found on the voters register.

As at 1pm at Igbo-oloyin ward 3, unit 8, Akinyele LG, none of the card readers worked and the INEC official said they could not use the manual register.

However, in areas where voting have been concluded, counting has already started. Areas where voting started late, INEC has extended voting time by the amount of hours lost. Among the areas where counting has started were: Ope Odu unit 7, ward 2 and unit 30 and Idi Ogun, ward 2, unit 6 and ward 3, unit 1. Counting of ballot was about to start at IDC voting centre, which is equally a collation centre.