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There was a heavy security presence within the Ibadan metropolis on Saturday as voters trooped to the polling centres to exercise their franchise.
A correspondent visited some areas within the city, including Eleyele, Ososami, Oke-Ado, Ring Road and Iyaganku, among others, to observe the turnout and compliance by the electorate.
It was observed that at 8:00 a.m., electoral officials had been at their duty posts, arranging their materials and awaiting the arrival of the voters.
Similarly, the heavy presence of security personnel was also seen around the city. Soldiers mounted roadblocks and enforced the restriction of vehicular movements.
The soldiers also mounted roadblocks around the Mobil roundabout, Akinyemi area and in front of the police headquarters at Eleyele, stopping vehicles not on election duties and forcing them out of their vehicles to sit down and observe the goings-on.
Officials of INEC, corps members and unarmed police officers were also seen moving in various chartered buses to polling units as early as 6:55 a.m.
Some of the voters, who spoke with journalists, said they had to walk to their polling units since there was a restriction on vehicular movement.
One of the voters, identified as Mrs Lawson, said she was going to exercise her civic right, stressing “it will be unfair not to partake in the electoral process.”
Another voter, Tosin Adeleye, who said she had to trek more than 40 minutes to her polling unit, expressed her dissatisfaction with the treatment by security personnel.
“Although when I showed them my voter card, they allowed me to pass, nevertheless, they have to take it easy with people so that they don’t feel intimidated.
“But, for now, the situation is good, and I pray it is maintained so we can cast our votes and go back home in peace,” she said.
At New Adeoyo road, a voter, Mohammed AbdulAzeez, commended the security situation around the area, attributing it to the tension recorded in the build-up to the election.
“We can all see the tension on Thursday when political parties attacked and killed their supporters. So I think the mobilisation of security is a welcome development. I want to believe this will encourage the electorate to come out to cast their votes and return home safely.
(NAN)
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