PDP's Oluyede voices worries over slow voting and police harassment

The PDP governorship candidate, Wole Oluyede, has expressed worries about the slow accreditation and voting in his polling unit. He accused INEC of failing in the process and claimed that police were intimidating voters in Ikere.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday after he voted, Oluyede said voters had to wait 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.

The opposition candidate voted at Ugele Arokun Ward 3, Unit 6 in Ikere-Ekiti. He showed frustration over the delays in getting 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," Oluyede stated. He added that he would stay at the polling unit to monitor the process.

Intimidation

Oluyede, who is the elder brother of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, also spoke about intimidation from security operatives near Ikere City Hall. He said, "Go to that place, the Garage axis beside Ikere City Hall, there is an array of policemen harassing people."

He estimated that if they continued voting at the current rate of five people per hour, many residents would not be able to vote. "If they are voting five people per hour, that is sad. Something is wrong," he said.