Alleged political thugs disrupted voting at the polling unit of African Democratic Congress governorship candidate Najeem Salam in Ejigbo Local Government Area on Saturday, triggering panic and forcing voters and election agents to flee for safety. The incident, captured in videos reviewed by SaharaReporters, underscores escalating tensions in the Osun State governorship election.
Witnesses identified the suspected ringleader as “Big Hammer,” described as a known loyalist of the All Progressives Congress. Footage showed voters and party agents scrambling in different directions, with one person recounting how they scaled a fence to escape the violence. “We had to jump the fence to escape, this is very uncalled for,” the witness said. A separate video obtained by the outlet revealed a damaged vehicle, while residents decried the descent of the electoral process into destruction and intimidation.
The attack on Salam’s unit — significant given his status as a major contender — compounds a series of reported disruptions across the state. Governor Ademola Adeleke, voting in his hometown of Ede North, separately alleged a plot by the APC to subvert the process. He claimed the opposition party had imported a police officer identified as “London” from Port Harcourt to interfere with voting, particularly in Ede.
Speaking to journalists after casting his ballot, Adeleke urged the Inspector General of Police and security commanders to monitor the officer’s activities. “They brought him to come and disorganise the vote,” the governor said. “They don’t want to go through the normal process from units to wards and to local government; they just want to take it all the way to the collation centre and that is not acceptable.”
The APC had not issued an immediate response to the allegations at the time of filing this report. However, the twin developments — physical disruption at a key opponent’s polling unit and high-level accusations of security manipulation — have deepened anxiety over the credibility of the exercise.
Civil society groups and party agents have called on security agencies to protect voters, electoral officials, and observers from intimidation. The Independent National Electoral Commission faces pressure to ensure results reflect only ballots legitimately cast, while police and sister agencies are expected to enforce order without partisanship.
As collation progresses, the focus remains on whether authorities can contain violence and guarantee that the outcome reflects the will of Osun’s electorate.
