Ogun State, Nigeria— Voter apathy, malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and violent disruptions marred the House of Representatives by-election in Ikenne, Remo North, and Sagamu Federal Constituency on Saturday.
At Igan/Ajina Polling Unit 16 in Remo North, only 64 of 445 registered voters were accredited by 11 a.m., as the BVAS device struggled to identify elderly voters. A 70-year-old, Pa Sobanke Fasasi, lamented being unable to vote despite multiple trials at different polling units.
Ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that several elderly voters faced similar difficulties, further discouraging turnout. In Ogere and Ilisan, where nearly 1,000 voters were registered, less than 100 had been accredited by midday.
At Iperu, hometown of Governor Dapo Abiodun, and the usual voting spot of PDP chieftain Oladipupo Adebutu, only 123 of 750 registered voters were accredited as of 12:03 p.m.
The election, initially peaceful, turned chaotic when masked hoodlums on motorcycles stormed Wesley Nursery & Primary School, Iperu Remo, and fired sporadically into the air. Voters and journalists fled as the thugs carted away ballot boxes unchallenged.
Earlier, speculation spread about the arrest of PDP state chairman Abayomi Tella and two INEC staff over alleged vote buying. However, Commissioner of Police Lanre Ogunlowo denied the claims, stating only that the Command was investigating.
By Makinde oyinkansola| August 16, 2025
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