FROM BAMIGBOLA GBOLAGUNTE, AKURE

As the people of Ondo State go to the poll today to elect a new governor that will succeed the incumbent, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, there is palpable tension in Akure, the State capital and many other towns in the State, following threats of violence by some political gladiators taking part in the election.

Although,  the State Government declared a public holiday yesterday, the  tensed atmosphere, Saturday Sun gathered, has also affected both social and commercial activities in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the State.

For instance, many residents of Akure, the State capital were unable to go out, as movements were restricted by security agents who were strategically positioned in major streets and areas within the city, to prevent any breakdown of law  and order .

There was also sporadic shootings by the Police and Military personnel who were patrolling major streets of Akure, a development which made many people to stay in doors.

Meanwhile, many banks and other commercial places were under lock and key yesterday, even as schools were equally shut down ahead of the governorship poll. The situation caught many residents of the state unaware as they had no premonition of the sudden public holiday declared by the State government.

It was gathered that many bank customers got disappointed when they got to the bank to make transactions and discovered that the banks did not open as a result of the public holiday declared by the state government.

Also many commercial bus owners and taxi drivers also vacated the roads, just as shops were locked, as many were afraid of being attacked. Many major roads in the state capital, especially the Ijapo/Alagbaka road which leads to the INEC state secretariat were blocked by security operatives.

Besides, many residents of the state, especially Akure who were apprehensive of possible breakdown of law and order during the election were said to have moved to their hometowns, even as new entrants were seen entering the city till 3.00pm yesterday.

Already, about 26,000 Police Officers have been deployed to the state, while over 20,000 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were also deployed to the state to prevent breakdown of law and order.

Also, the Police have assured that the election would be devoid of violence despite threats by some politicians, stressing that five police officers with officers of other security agencies would man each polling unit.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state Police Command, Mr Femi Joseph who expressed the readiness of the police for the election, said 20 gunboats would be used for the election in the coastal part of the state and two helicopters would also be used for surveillance to avoid violence before, during and after the election.

He informed that the Police would collaborate with the Nigerian Army, Department of State Security (DSS), NSCDC and other security agencies to ensure that the election was not marred by violence.

The PPRO noted that men of the Nigeria Police Force were already in strategic locations in the state, adding that they would remain there till after the election, as a way of preventing post election violence in the state.

In a related development, the PDP has reiterated its call for the suspension of the poll, saying that it would amount to injustice if the election should be held, as its governorship candidate only had a day to campaign for the election, following the earlier substitution of his name with that of Mr Ibrahim.

Although the party said it had embarked on door-to-door campaign to sensitize the electorate on the need to participate in the election as many of them had earlier been discouraged by the substitution of Jegede’s name. It pointed out that the late entry into the race of Jegede may have grey consequence on the attitude of his supporters to the election.

The state chairman of the party, Chief Clement Faboyede told Saturday Sun that members of the party across the state would participate in the election if INEC goes ahead with it. But he stressed that the most honourable thing for INEC to do was to postpone the poll in the interest of fairness and justice to all parties concerned.

The State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko also toed the path of the PDP Chairman as he said during a meeting with PDP leaders in the state that “what INEC did by substituting the name of Jegede with that of Ibrahim was against the law, it was against common sense and also against logic, so it is important for INEC which put us into the earlier mess to do the right thing by postponing the election.

“The real judgment is postponement of the election. What we got at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court are true judgments, but INEC also needs to give us true judgment by postponing the election in the interest of peace, equality and fairness,” he stated.

Governor Mimiko stressed that the PDP candidate needed sufficient time to move round the state to solicit for the support of the masses as many were already discouraged as a result of the illegal substitution of his name with that of Jegede by INEC.

He however urged the people of the state not to be deterred by INEC decision, urging them to come out en mass to show their support for him by supporting the governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Jegede who he described as a man of destiny, having being deprived of his right but later got it restored through the judiciary.

Mimiko had since after the Supreme Court judgment was delivered been moving round the state, day and night, to rally support for Jegede, even as he sponsored advertorials on both the television and radio stations on the need for the people of the state to support the PDP candidate.

However, the governorship candidate of the AD, Chief Oke and that of the APC, Chief Akeredolu, were opposed to the postponement of the poll, saying there was no basis for the electoral body to postpone the election due to the internal crisis of the PDP.

Both Oke and Akeredolu reiterated their readiness for today’s election, even as they called on their supporters not to be discouraged by the PDP’s call for election postponement.

Specifically, Oke who spoke through his media aide, Mr Kolawole Olabisi said “the state is peaceful and the people across  all the Local Government Areas are fully prepared for the governorship election in the state, we therefore wonder why the Mimiko faction of the PDP will continue to misrepresent the true position of the political atmosphere in the state.”

Oke also expressed his confidence in the security agencies at ensuring maximum and effective security as well as a peaceful atmosphere for eligible voters to cast their votes.

He therefore enjoined the general public to disregard the rumour being peddled in some quarters that the election has been postponed, describing it as a mere attempt by the Mimiko faction of the PDP to buy time.

Also, Akeredolu who spoke through his spokesperson, Mr Yemi Olowolabi said the APC was prepared for the election and urged his supporters across the state to troop out en mass to exercise their franchise.

But, the governorship candidate of the Young Democratic Party (YDP), Mr. Adewale called on INEC to postpone the election, saying his own political party was not carried along in the activities of the electoral body ahead of the election.

He said “the best thing for INEC to do in this crucial time is to shift the election, for all the governorship candidates to have equal treatment.”

While threatening to drag INEC to court if it goes ahead with the election, the governorship hopeful said “we are ready to approach the court to challenge whatever INEC does, and we are sure of good judgment at the end of the day.”

Also, the PDP Candidate, Mr Jegede said postponing the election would  allow the party to submit a list of its agents in good time before the election as provided for in the Electoral Act 2010.

The Act stipulates that each party should make list of their party agents available to the commission, 14 days before the day of election.

The Jimoh Ibrahim faction of the PDP had submitted a list of party agents to the Commission before the expiration of the deadline for Jimoh Ibrahim, who was removed by Wednesday’s Appeal Court judgment.

Mr. Jegede, who led a protest to the INEC state headquarters at Alagbaka, in Akure on Thursday, told the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje that the postponement was necessary in order not to be in breach of the Electoral Act.

But the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Segun Agbaje said “INEC had gone past the issue of postponement, given that it had distributed sensitive materials to all the Local Government Areas,” insisting that the Commission was prepared for today’s election.

“We can no longer talk about postponement of the election right now,” he said. “The matter is an internal dispute within the PDP and so we cannot be talking about postponement. If we postpone the election, we will be losing billions of naira knowing that we have already deployed sensitive and non-sensitive materials to all the Local Government Areas of the state,” he added.

A cross section of people in the state also expressed their readiness to take part in the election, even as they called on security agencies to ensure adequate security of lives during and after the poll.

An electorate, Mr Albert Reka said “we are ready for the poll, notwithstanding any circumstance, I am ready to participate in the election because it is my fundamental right to do so.”