Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
At unit 13 ward 4 in Ejigbo local government area of Osun State, polling unit of the ADC governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaams was disrupted by political thugs as all INEC materials were destroyed completely.
Also voters at the polling unit ran away for their safety.
However, while reacting after the attack, ADC candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, said “There was a total disruption of the electoral process and their plan was to attack me.
According to him, “That was an attempt to attack me personally. It was my strategic movement away from that area that made it impossible for them to attack me. Of course, my security personnel protected me and helped me get out of the area.”
“So, it is not a small thing; it is a big issue. This was a well-planned attack. And why did it happen immediately after I cast my vote? People had been voting before I arrived to cast my own vote. It happened immediately afterwards, and because of the strength I have in my unit, I did not just wait around.”
“I feel so bad and sad about it. I am worried and disturbed about the state of Nigerian democracy, the way we are going, and the way security operations are being handled. What does the future hold for everybody in this country?”
“It appears that when you belong to a particular party or have the backing of the government, you can do things the way you want. This is not fair. This is not democracy.”
“A lot of people ran for their lives. I wish you had the pictures and captions to show it. Elderly women and men ran away to save their lives. So, how can one be happy with this?”
“The citizens needed protection and assistance, but they were not getting the help they needed. It is worrisome and disturbing. That is it.”
“The security officials have arrested one of them, and I hope and believe he is still in their custody. We will pursue this afterwards because, in an attempt on my life, I cannot close my eyes, remain calm or stay silent about it. I will follow it up and escalate the matter.”
“Even after the election, the person needs to be questioned. Why was this done? Was it really targeted at me?”
” I can see that the Security Agencies were just looking. The security officers were just watching, and I think it is expected because they may be conniving with certain political parties.”
“They were just looking. That is why sometimes people take the law into their own hands and do things, and that is how we normally have crises in our society.”
“If we really want to protect the democracy that we are all yearning for, this is not the way to go.People are being denied. This is the use of force. I said somewhere, how can we differentiate this from military rule? When people vote and their votes do not count, what is all the preparation for? Why are we campaigning?”
“This is not an election; it is a selection. You want people who want to be in power, and then you select them. That is exactly what they are doing.”
“We appeal to whoever they are and whoever is listening to heed this call. This is not the way. You are in power today; you will not be there tomorrow. What legacy are we leaving for them,
Which direction are we giving to the people who are coming behind us?” Salam noted.