Tension as officials, agents flee Ogbomoso collation centre

There was pandemonium on Sunday at the Ogbomoso North Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office when officials and agents of political parties hurriedly fled and relocated following reports that armed hoodlums were planning to invade the collation center.

Ogbomoso North, one of the five local government areas in Ogbomoso zone, has 10 wards and 183 polling units, the largest in the zone.

The tensed atmosphere, which later forced others outside the INEC office to seek protection elsewhere, halted the collation exercise.

Top officials of the independent National Electoral Commission ordered that collation process should be stopped immediately.

The Returning Officer, Professor Rasheed Okunola and other collation officers were forced to leave the INEC office at Ogbomoso North Local Government

Okunola was reconciling the results of the 10 wards in the local government when the report of security threat was received.

Officials of INEC accompanied by security agents on receiving reports that hoodlums were set to cause violence, moved all the results to the town hall, at the palace of Soun in Ogbomoso popularly known as Ojude Oba.

A senior police officer arrived the INEC office earlier in a Police van to inquire from the presiding officer the situation of things.

Okunola had told the senior police officer that he was rounding off and announcement would be made shortly.

The results will be announced at the town hall, which has now been heavily guarded by soldiers.

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