The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salaam, was whisked away by his security operatives after violence erupted at his polling unit in Ejigbo, Osun State, on Saturday.
The incident occurred at Unit 003, Iroyin Ayo Open Space, Ward 004, shortly after Salaam and his wife cast their ballots.
The outbreak of violence triggered panic, forcing voters, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, observers and journalists to flee the polling unit.
As the situation escalated, Salaam was quickly evacuated from the area by his security details to prevent him from being caught up in the violence.
Voting was subsequently disrupted as electoral officials abandoned the polling unit amid concerns for their safety.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) later arrived at the scene in an attempt to restore order. However, they eventually left as tension persisted.
A voter, Adewale, said he was unable to cast his ballot despite arriving early at the polling unit.
“I came here early because I wanted to vote and return home. But after the crisis started, everybody ran away. Now the INEC officials and security men have left. We don’t know what will happen next,” he said.
Another voter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the disruption had denied several residents the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
“We have been here since morning. We want to vote, but nobody is conducting the election anymore. The security people who came to restore order have also left,” the voter said.
As of the time of filing this report, voting remained suspended at the polling unit, while some voters stayed behind awaiting information on whether the exercise would resume.
