Ekiti Decides: Voter Recounts How Thugs Beat Him & His Mum For Speaking Against Vote Buying At Polling Unit

Ekiti governorship election might have come and gone but the rubbles it created are yet to be cleared. APC candidate for the election, Biodun Oyebanji has been declared winner of the election which many Nigerians described as heavily monetized process.

One of the voters who came out to exercise his franchise has been left with a bitter experience for daring to challenge what he believes to be abnormal during the exercise. 

According to the voter who spoke to Punch Newspaper correspondent on phone, he and his mother had gone to the polling unit to cast their votes like every other person. On getting there, he noticed that voters would go and meet some people after casting their votes.

He diecided to do a follow up and he noticed that the people attending to them are APC agents. Once the voters approach them, they will ask which party did they vote for and once they respond it is APC, they will give them ten thousand naira.

One SDP agent who was in the polling unit challenged them and they descended on him, beat him to stupor even in the presence of police officers. While that was ongoing, he took his phone and decided to record the incident.

One of the alleged thug approached and asked him if he was sent to do what he is doing. Before he could answer, they collected his phone. He held the clothe of the thug and demanded for his phone.

In the heat of the argument, his mother came and asked them to leave her son alone, saying he is not a politician’s supporter.

One of the thugs reportedly slapped his mum. Angered by the action, he punched the person in return for daring to slap his 58 years old mum for doing nothing. He said the remaining gang members came and held him so that the person whom he punched could be able to beat him very well.

He said he was beaten blue black, wounded in the mouth. He also explained that police officers who were there simply looked away from what was happening. 

It was later he noticed that the unit was where the APC ward chairman of the area voted. In other word, it is APC stronghold. 

The voter narrated his experience to Punch correspondent after the scenario on Saturday.