The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Com. Adams Oshiomhole has expressed dissapointment over the invasion of political thugs at some polling units at Uluoke and Ogbido both in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo.
Com. Oshiomhole stated this shorty after casting his vote at his polling, Ward 10 unit 1 in Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government Area.
The National chairman alledged that PDP leaders brought thugs to distrupt the voting process in the area, adding that security operatives were able to restore normacy in the area as voting later continued.
“We have some few reported incident today some political thugs have disrupted elections process in some polling units, you know last week it was clear that the whole of this area was 99 per cent APC, so I believe PDP leaders sent thugs to cause distruption in some polling units where we got 99 per cent in last election”.
“They brought thugs and they started shooting to distrupt the process, fortunately the people were determined to cast their votes for their next leaders and I understand the voting has resumed”.
“PDP leaders led the thugs to distrupt election at Uluoke and Ogbido with the same partern trying to cart away election materials, again, the youth in the area stop them, I understand that the situation is under control in those locations,” he said.
The national chairman said there is need for military to be involved in elections monitoring due to frequent snatching of ballot boxes and distruption of elections processes by political thugs.
“That is why when some people are talking against or disputing the idea of deploying the military for elections, only enemies of democracy and enemies of peace will support that kind of campaign.
“Imagine when two unarmed policemen are in a polling unit, what can they do when political thugs invaded the polling centres with sophisticated weapons, they will watch helplessly.
“If not that we have the military that were on patrol, things would have got out of hands and the thugs would have gone away with the election materials
The APC national chairman however commended INEC for a peaceful process, adding that the commission did a perfect arrangement in ensuring that the process was hitch-free as the commission kept improving on every election.
Meanwhile, there were low turnout by eligible voters in all the wards and polling units monitored in Etsako West, central and east despite the early availability of election materials at every polling unit.
