Guber Election: Celebrities Protest Alleged Intimidation In Lagos As Thugs Strike In Bayelsa
There are fears that some voters may not have the opportunity to exercise their franchise following earlier reports of intimidation and thuggery in some parts of Lagos and Bayelsa States on election day.
Kate Henshaw, a Nollywood star, via her verified Twitter handle, shared updates from her polling unit claiming that the chairperson of Eti Osa Local government Area (LGA) of Lagos, Rashhedat Adu and another man had threatened her.
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“No one can intimidate me!! I have every right to carry out my duty No amount of abuse or vitriol will work. You are a public servant!! I have taken note of all your thugs!!
“I do not know what you have against me or what I did to you, maybe because I told you off the last time, you came here and was issuing instructions. Maybe you thought I do not understand Yoruba and one of them said he would slap me.
“A gentleman in an afro and glasses came later and started pointing at me. You should be ashamed of yourselves… This country, this Lagos belongs to everybody,” she said.
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Similarly, Actress Omoni Oboli had taken to her verified Instagram handle to disclose that officials of the Independent Electoral Commission had refused to utilise the ward where elections are usually carried out without prior notice.
“INEC moved polling station without telling us in time,” she lamented in the video.
Subsequent videos shared by her showed the voters in a crowdy environment as she noted that the new location could not accommodate the number of voters registered there.
In another development, viral videos captured by residents in the state show thugs moving around allegedly threatening intending voters to vote for the All Progressive Congress (APC) or remain Indoors.
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Also in Bayelsa thugs hijacked and burnt election materials at the three wards in Ogbia Constituency 2 in Bayelsa State during the ongoing state assembly poll in the state.
The INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity in Bayelsa State, Wilfred Ifogah confirmed the incident to Daily Trust.
He said, “We received a report that materials meant for the State Assembly election in about two or three wards in Ogbia Constituency 2 were hijacked and burnt, maybe later we will get a statement on it”.
According to the report, INEC officials deployed to the constituency are returning to Yenagoa for safety.
