Violence broke out on Saturday at Unit 4, Ward 2 in Ilawe-Ekiti as supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) allegedly engaged in a clash over claims of vote buying during the Ekiti State governorship election.
The unrest reportedly disrupted voting for a short period and left an ADC supporter injured. The victim, who sustained a head injury during the scuffle, was taken to a hospital for medical attention.
ADC governorship candidate Dare Bejide, who voted at the polling unit, accused some political actors of attempting to influence voters with cash.
According to him, trouble started after money allegedly meant for distribution to voters was brought into the area. He claimed his supporters tried to stop the alleged act, leading to a confrontation.
Bejide further alleged that an APC chieftain arrived at the polling unit in a Toyota Jeep carrying cash intended for voters, a development he said triggered the crisis.
The ADC candidate said the situation escalated when attempts were made to intercept the money, resulting in a heated exchange involving party supporters and security operatives.
“One of my aides was attacked by security men brought in by them, and he has been taken to the hospital,” Bejide alleged.
He added that the alleged cash movement was reported to security agencies, but the incident created panic and caused disorder around the polling centre.
Despite the violence, Bejide praised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying they had carried out their duties professionally before the disruption.
“The electoral personnel have been very diligent, and everything was going on very well before the pandemonium started,” he said.
He noted that normalcy was later restored after additional security personnel were deployed to the area, allowing voting to continue under tight security, although tension remained among party supporters.
