As voters flock to polling stations in Ibadan, there is a heavy security presence

BY: News Peddlers 

Police officers seated on an armoured tank

There was a heavy security presence in Ibadan On Saturday as voters flocked to polling stations to exercise their franchise.

A correspondent went to various parts of the city, including Eleyele, Ososami, Oke-Ado, Ring Road, and Iyaganku, to observe voter turnout and compliance.

At 8:00 a.m., electoral officials were observed at their duty posts, arranging their materials and anticipating the arrival of voters.

Similarly, there was a heavy presence of security personnel throughout the city. Soldiers set up roadblocks and enforced vehicle movement restrictions.

The soldiers also set up roadblocks around the Mobil roundabout, the Akinyemi area, and in front of the police headquarters in Eleyele, stopping vehicles that were not on election duty and forcing them to sit down and observe what was going on.

INEC officials, corps members, and unarmed police officers were also seen arriving at polling stations in various chartered buses as early as 6:55 a.m.

Some voters who spoke with journalists said they had to walk to their polling places because vehicular movement was restricted.

Mrs Lawson, one of the voters, stated that she would exercise her civic duty, stating that "it would be unfair not to participate in the electoral process."

Tosin Adeleye, another voter who said she had to walk more than 40 minutes to her polling place, expressed her displeasure with the treatment she received from security personnel.

"Although when I showed them my voter card, they allowed me to pass, nevertheless, they have to take it easy with people so that they don't feel intimidated.

"But, for the time being, the situation is good, and I hope it remains so so that we can vote and return home in peace," she said.

Mohammed AbdulAzeez, a voter on New Adeoyo Road, praised the security situation in the area, attributing it to the tension felt in the run-up to the election.

"On Thursday, we saw the tension when political parties attacked and killed their supporters. As a result, I believe that the mobilisation of security forces is a positive development. I'd like to believe that this will encourage voters to cast their ballots and return home safely."

(NAN)