The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye, has alleged that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force arrested commission staff deployed for election duties across the state.
Abioye made this claim in a statement posted on OSSIEC’s official X page on Saturday, expressing concerns over the impact of the arrests on the electoral process.
“Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested staff of the commission who are on election duty across the state,” he stated.
The OSSIEC chairman also acknowledged the challenges faced by voters in some areas due to delays in the arrival of election materials.
He attributed the delay to the police action, explaining that the commission’s headquarters, where the materials were kept, had been sealed off.
“For the units where materials didn’t arrive early, it was due to the Police arrest of the officials conveying the materials,” Abioye said.
Despite the disruptions, he assured the public that fresh materials had been sent out, and voting was proceeding as planned. “However, new materials have been deployed, and voting is now ongoing,” he added.
While commending voters for turning out to exercise their rights, Abioye also appealed to the media for understanding regarding the commission’s inability to provide accreditation materials, citing the police blockade of its headquarters.
