- Safiu Kehinde
Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force have allegedly arrested some officials of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) at the ongoing local government election.
OSSIEC Chairman, Hashim Abioye, disclosed this in a video made available to NPO Reports on Saturday.
According to Abioye, the officials were arrested on their way to their assigned polling units.
While admitting that the election has been peaceful with reports across state positive, the OSSIEC chairman explained that the cause of its officials’ absence at some polling units are due to the unlawful arrest by the Police.
So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct peaceful as against the false alarm by the Police.
He, however, disclosed that electoral materials have been deployed to the affected polling units.
“Everywhere is calm. The only thing is that some of the areas in which materials are supposed to arrive for the voters to cast their votes, we had reports of Police arresting our officials.
“I don’t know on whose order that was made because there is no court order to have warranted the arrest.
“I want to assure our people that for those who are still awaiting the arrival of our officials. I want to tell you that the police arrested some of our officials for committing no crime at all or for going against any court order.
“But as it is, we have deployed materials to those polling units because we have enough on ground.” Abioye said.
NPO reported that the Police Force had on Friday called for the suspension of the election, citing imminent violence and civil unrest plotted by some political elements.
The state governor, Ademola Adeleke, however defied the warning as he declared the commencement of the election.