Tunde Fagbenle
Five persons were feared dead on Saturday in the Akenfa suburb of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State when canoes transporting passengers capsized, eyewitnesses said.
Witnesses told the News Agency of Nigeria in Yenagoa that the tragedy occurred when the two canoes, transporting persons from Akenfa III to Akenfa I, capsized on the Epie Creek at about 8a.m.
NAN reports that the accident is one of the major disasters recorded due to the ravaging flood in the state in the past three weeks.
Witnesses said the two canoes collided close to where they were supposed to have berthed at Akenfa I due to panic by the passengers.
NAN learnt that the five persons, who had yet to be rescued from the creek, included a woman with a baby strapped on her back.
A NAN correspondent who visited the scene reports that a large crowd was seen at banks of the Epie Creek at Akenfa III, the take-off point, and Akenfa I, the destination.
Meanwhile some officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission who said they had received a distress call, added that the Nigerian Navy had been notified due to the commission’s handicap.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Fidelis Odunna, who confirmed the incident, however, said that three persons and the driver of one of the canoes, were missing.
The Federal Road Safety Commission on Saturday said it had pulled out a passenger bus that plunged into a river at Ogbere-Ijebu, Ogun State on the Sagamu-Ore Expressway on Friday.
A pregnant woman and three other passengers miraculously survived the accident, which was said to have occurred when the bus skidded off the dual carriageway and plunged into the river.
The pregnant woman and the two other survivors were said to have reached out for and clung to the branches of a tree as the bus lost control and began its fatal plunge into the river.
An FRSC statement said12 corpses, comprising one male and 11 female, were pulled out of the bus.
“According to our findings, 21 people were inside the bus, the three that survived have been taken to hospital.
“FRSC’s coordinated search for the remaining victims with local divers continues,” it said.
Mimiko, Akeredolu and Oke
| credits: File
Ondo State Governor and Labour Party governorship candidate, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has crushed his main opponents – Rotimi Akeredolu of the Action Congress of Nigeria and Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party – in his own Ward 7 in Ondo twon.
In results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission after the collation of results on Saturday, Mimiko received 348 votes; ACN (Akeredolu) 16; and PDP (Oke) 11.
More details later.
Mimiko, Akeredolu and Oke
| credits: File
Ondo State Governor and Labour Party candidate, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on Saturday won the election in the polling unit of his arch-opponent and Action Congress of Nigeria candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu.
In results declared at the Ijebu 2 Ward 5 Unit 6 in Owo, Ondo State, Mimiko got 144 votes; Akeredolu, 139; Olusola Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party, 35; while the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria garnered three; COngress for Progressive Change, three; and Better Nigeria Peoples Party, two.
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Senator Ajayi Boroffice proved himself to be in solid control of his area as he led his party, Action Congress of Nigeria, to trounce the Labour Party in his polling unit in Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State.
ACN garnered 109 votes against LP’s 82 in Unit 10 Ward 5 Oka in Akoko South-West Local Government Area, according to the results declared at the polling unit.
Peoples Democratic Party got 43; African Political System, 1; Peoples Democratic Congress, 3; National Social Democratic Party, 1; Better Nigeria Peoples Party, 1 while 17 votes were invalidated for double shading or empty spaces.
Boroffice left LP last year after he fell out with Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who is seeking re-election.
More details later.
Commuters travelling from Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, to cities within and outside the state are now using Mercedes Benz 911 trucks, popularly known as tipper lorries, as their means of transportation.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that this development is to enable them get by areas rendered impassable by recent flooding.
The linkage roads from Yenagoa to areas such as Ahoada, Otuoke, Port-Harcourt and other cities have been over-run by flood and have become impassable for cars, jeeps and commuter buses.
Consequently, many tippers and other trucks used for conveying items such as sands and goods have been converted to passenger-carrying vehicles.
NAN reports that wooden benches were often put in place in the open trucks for the comfort of passengers.
In addition to this, wooden ladders were also made available as stairs for the commuters to climb into the trucks.
The operators of these trucks also charge exorbitant fares, taking advantage of the desperate commuters who have to travel out of the state.
A commuter, Ebinemen Damaro, told NAN she paid N6,000 as fare to ride on a truck from Yenagoa to Port-Harcourt.
The normal fare on bus rides before the flooding was between N1,000 and N1, 500.
NAN further reports that the situation has resulted in a lull in business for the commercial bus operators as passengers deserted their vehicle parks for the truck parks.
However, some of the travelers disclosed that their ordeal on the road in the trucks was unpleasant.
They said they spent between eight to nine hours from Port-Harcourt to Yenagoa, a journey which should not have taken more than ninety minutes in buses.
The worst-hit of the flooded areas, according to the passengers, was the Ahoada junction on the Yenagoa-Port-Harcourt road which has been taken over by flood.
The Yenagoa city itself was not left out of the flooding as some areas have been taken over by the water.
Residents of Onipa and Igboginni areas of the city centre had been evacuated to designated camps in the state, while canoes were used to move people and goods out of their residence.
President Goodluck Jonathan had disclosed on Monday that his residence at his country home in Otuoke was not left out of the ravaging flood in the state.
Speaking while launching the “Saving one million lives” health programme at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, Jonathan had said water had reached the window level in his Otuoke house.
Action Congress of Nigeria governorship candidate in Saturday’s election in Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has expressed satisfaction with the large turnout of voters in his Unit 6 Oke-Ijebu, Owo polling unit.
He said that though he was not allowed to visit any other area, information available to him indicated that voters turned out in large numbers in other areas of Owo, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
“Although the late arrival of INEC materials had brought an initial setback to the accreditation of voters, we have reached out to the officials concerned and we believe they will profer solution to the problem,” Akeredolu said.
He, however, commended INEC’s efforts, saying, “They have prepared enough to discharge their responsibility.”
State Chairman of the Labour Party, Chief Olu Ogidan, also commended the Federal Government for providing a level playing field for all parties participating in the election.
According to him, the security arrangement has adequately nipped in the bud any attempt to cause violence in the state.
Also speaking, the state Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Mr. Ebenezer Alabi, commended the security arrangement put in place for the poll.
Alabi, who also commended INEC for ” its tidy arrangement,” said he was happy about the conduct of the voters during the accreditation process.
The Olukare of Ikareland, Oba Akadiri Momoh, in his reaction, described the accreditation process as peaceful and orderly.
He urged the voters to accept the election result whenever it was announced.
The police in Ondo State on Saturday denied an allegation by the Action Congress of Nigeria that the Commissioner for Special Duties, Niran Sule, and some other persons had been arrested for alleged possession of guns and ballot papers and boxes.
ACN had in a statement by its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, alleged that “Ondo State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Niran Sule, and the Chairman of Owo Council, Mr. Akinrogbe, have been arrested and stripped naked after they were found with six AK-47 guns in the early hours of Saturday. They have been whisked to Akure for interrogation.”
However, the spokesman for the state police command, Mr. Aremu Adeniran, told PUNCH that he had contacted the Commissioner for Police, Ondo State, Mr. Muhammad Indabawa; Owo area commander; and Owo Divisional Police Officer and they all denied the report.
Aremu said, “Your people (journalists) have been calling me on the matter; but my boss, the CP, Owo Area Commander and the DPO Owo had all denied it when I called them.
”The implication of this is that the arrest, if any, was not carried out by the police and we are not aware of such incident.”
Also, the Public Relations Officer of the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Akure, Lt.-Col. Emmanuel Onoja, said the Army were not aware of the purported arrests.
More details later.
A man identified as Bola Osun was on Saturday arrested by the Yaba Police Division in Unit 23, Ward 7, Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State for allegedly impersonating as a legitimate voter during the Ondo governorship election.
Bosun was swiftly disowned by members of the community.
When questioned by the police, after his name was not found on the register, Bosun said he mistakenly washed his voter card.
Meanwhile, there are reports that a Peoples Democratic Party agent has allegedly been arrested with cash and voter cards at a polling station.
More details later.
Agents of some political parties are allegedly bribing voters with money, textile fabrics, kerosene, buckets and other gifts.
Witnesses at different polling units alleged on Twitter that the party agents are trying to use the gifts to entice voters to support their candidates.
Writing under the Twitter handle, @solar_unique, a witness said in a report to the Independent National Electoral Commission that a Labour Party agent “called Mandela is currently distributing N100 notes at Ward 3, All Saints Grammar School, Ondo West Local Government Area.”
In response, INEC said, “Thank you for reporting this. We will look into it right away.”
Another commentator, @elnathan, wrote INEC thus, “So (Shoutout) to Ondo. Anyone who thinks there is difference between the parties is joking o: ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria is) giving recharge cards. Labour (Party is) giving food. PDP (Peoples Democratic Party is giving) cash.”
Responding, INEC wrote, “Can you please provide the particular Polling Units where this distribution of gifts is happening so we can take action.
“INEC is taking measures to ensure all parties follow proper electoral procedures and regulations. Please report any issues.”
More details later.
A gridlock ensued on Saturday morning on Sagamu-Ore-Benin Expressway as security agents blocked the Ondo-Ogun and Ondo/Edo borders of the highway.
The security agents were enforcing a total restriction order by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, as part of measures to ensure a hitch-free governorship election in Ondo State.
Witnesses said a large number of inter-state transport buses were held up at both borders on Saturday morning.
The situation may not be different on the highway linking Lagos with Abuja through Ondo State, although PUNCH has yet to receive any report from there.
The state is a major point linking the South-West with the North, South-South and South-East by road and sea.
It shares borders with Ogun, Edo, Osun, Ekiti and Kogi states.
More details later.
Governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Saturday urged security agents to arrest any member of any political party involved in election rigging and other malpractices.
Speaking at the venue of his accreditation at Ijebu 2 Ward 5 Unit 6, Owo, Akeredolu said, “If security agencies arrest any member of any party, they should ensure they are not released.
“The same goes for members of our party. If any member of the ACN is arrested for any offence, they must ensure they are not released.”
Action Congress of Nigeria on Saturday morning issued a statement complaining of the late arrival of voting materials and insecurity in some parts of Ondo State, as the governorship election got under way.
ACN spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in the statement , “Though election materials have been distributed to many polling units across the states, they are yet to get to several polling units, more than one hour after the election ought to have commenced.
“Specifically, materials have not been brought to Ese Odo LG Ward 1 Unit 11, as well as Akure South Ward 8 Wofere Unit.
“Also at both Units, INEC officials have not been sighted. At the Ese Odo LG, Apoi 4, Unit 1, duplicate EC8A was presented.”
In the statement, the party also raised the alarm over acts of thuggery and irregularities.
It said, “Inadequate security has been reported in many localities in Ondo State, with the worst-hit areas being Idanre and Okitipupa.
In Idanre, for example, thugs on motorcycles are harassing voters and agents of the opposition.
“There are also reports of stuffed ballot boxes being moved to polling booths with the protection of Labour Party thugs.
“In Owo, a state government commissioner has been arrested by soldiers after he was found with weapons.
“The widespread insecurity has led to apprehension by voters, and there is the need for security agencies to urgently deploy additional security to the affected areas.
“Many agents of the Action Congress of Nigeria whose names were forwarded to INEC were not given accreditation tags in several polling units across the state, raising fears that ACN agents may not be able to monitor the election. INEC must immediately remedy the situation.”
The state government has already denied the alleged arrest of its Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Niran Sule, whom, the ACN statement may have referred to.
Meanwhile, field reports indicate that voters are complaining that materials were yet to reach some communities in Arogboland as at 10.30a.m.
The State Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Shuaib Yisa, had to volunteer his vehicle to convey stranded officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and their materials from Cathedral area of the state capital, Akure, to various polling units in Akure South Local Government Area.
However, INEC has given the assurance that the complaints on late arrival of materials had been addressed.
Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said on Facebook, “All issues as regards late arrival of election materials and officials in some wards across the states especially in Sijuwade, Oke Aro andBolajoko have been dealt with accordingly.”
Ondo State Government on Saturday morning denied rumours of the resignation of Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi.
Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, dispelled the rumours in a statement in the state capital, Akure.
Akinmade also debunked rumours that security agents arrested the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Niran Sule, and some people for allegedly thumprinting ballot papers and stuffing ballot boxes in the residence of an Afenifere chieftain.
