Confusion and violence marred yesterday’s by-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 16 constituencies across 12 states in the country.

The exercise was characterised by violence, arrest of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), officials of INEC, and 288 thugs in Ogun, Kano, and Kaduna states, as well as allegations of vote-buying.

While the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP have called on the INEC to immediately cancel the by-elections for Shanono/Bagwai constituency and the Ghari constituency by-election in Kano State, the PDP also described the arrest of its members as a ploy to intimidate and disenfranchise them.

The main opposition party also accused security operatives of abducting its House of Representatives candidate for the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Princess Esther Ashivelli Dawaki, along with 25 supporters.

This is just as the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency in Oyo State, Femi Dexter Akin-Alamu, raised allegations of large-scale vote buying.

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State also yesterday expressed concerns over the slow performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the ongoing by-election in Edo Central Senatorial District.

In Anambra State, the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was also accused of vote buying.

The elections were conducted in two senatorial districts in Anambra and Edo states; five federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo; and nine state constituencies in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna (two), Kano, Kogi, Niger, Taraba and Zamfara states, following the resignation or death of serving members of national and state Houses of Assembly.

Also, the court-ordered re-run election in Onitsha South 1 State Constituency of Anambra State, and the Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency of Kano State, were held simultaneously with the by-elections.

Police Arrest PDP leader, INEC Staff in Ogun

In Ogun State, security operatives arrested officials of the state chapter of the PDP and two INEC staff at a hotel in the Iperu-Remo area, with a huge amount of money in their possession.

According to a statement issued by the state police command spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, the INEC officials were arrested during a stop-and-search exercise around midnight in Iperu.

The statement reads, “At about 0045hrs, a police patrol team attached to Iperu Remo Division intercepted a Mitsubishi Space wagon, with registration number LAGOS AKD 887 HT, with three occupants, Mr. Toryem Joe-Stans and Ms. Mandara Aminat, both officials of INEC, alongside their driver.

“A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a cash sum of two million five hundred thousand naira (?2,500,000.00) from Mr. Joe-Stans Toryem.

“During interrogation, he confessed that the money was collected at Kehoy Hotel, Iperu, Ogun State, from a man he referred to as “Political Solution”, acting on the directive of his supervisor.

But in a video that went viral, one of the PDP members, who introduced himself in the video as “PDP official in Ogun State”, was heard denying his involvement in the alleged cash-for-vote incident.

He said: “You are just showing money; I don’t know anything about it.”

Reacting, PDP has described the arrest as a ploy to intimidate and disenfranchise its members ahead of the by-election.

Director of Media and Communications of the party, Asiwaju Akinloye Bankole, said the party officer was arrested around 3:30 am by security operatives, who allegedly broke into his hotel room in what he termed a “commando-style operation”.

Bankole maintained that, contrary to reports, no electoral materials were found in his possession, nor was he caught with large sums of money.

His words: “He had only N100,000 in his room. No electoral material was discovered in his hotel room or car.

“It is part of a grand plan to scare our people and disenfranchise them. This is unfortunate and shameful in a democracy.”

He also dissociated the arrested member from the arrest of two INEC officials and others who were allegedly apprehended with large amounts of cash in the area.

Police Arrest 288 Thugs in Kano, APC, PDP Demand Poll Cancellation

In Kano State, the police arrested 288 suspected thugs during the Bagwai/Shanono and Ghari/Tsanyawa constituencies by-elections.

The Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Bakori, said the election was marred by violence, with thugs allegedly hired to disrupt proceedings.

Following the development, the APC called for the cancellation.

National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, made the call in a statement issued yesterday.

He alleged widespread violence and disruption of the exercise by armed thugs in several polling units.

The Kano State chapter of the PDP has also rejected yesterday’s by-election into Shanono/Bagwai State Constituency because the election was marred by intimidation, thuggery, among others.

The party chairman, Yusuf Ado Kibiya, who stated this while addressing journalists, condemned the election process, describing it as unacceptable.

In Kaduna State, the PDP accused security operatives of abducting its House of Representatives’ candidate for the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency by-election, Princess Esther Ashivelli Dawaki, along with 25 supporters.

At a press conference held yesterday in Kaduna, the state PDP Chairman, Sir Edward Percy Masha, alleged that security personnel stormed the hotel in Malali in a bid to arrest the Chairman of the PDP Campaign Council, Hon. Hussein Ahmed-Kero.

He disclosed that when they could not find him, they allegedly whisked away Dawaki and others.

Security operatives have arrested a suspected vote buyer with cash totalling N25,963,000 in the Kaduna metropolis.

Spokesman of the state police command, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the suspect had already confessed that the huge cash was meant for inducing voters to compromise the electoral process.

In Oyo State, the candidate of the ADC for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Femi Dexter Akin-Alamu, claimed that from the numerous reports at his disposal, voters were approached with offers of money and other incentives in exchange for their votes during the election.

In the Anambra South senatorial by-election, the ruling APGA was accused of vote buying in Nnewi South, Nnewi North, Ihiala, and Ekwusigo LGAs.

Okpebholo Faults BVAS Machine Malfunction in Edo

Meanwhile, in Edo State, Governor Okpebholo expressed concerns over the slow performance of the BVAS in Edo Central Senatorial District.

Okpebholo said this while casting his vote at Ward 2 Polling Unit 1 in Udomi Primary School in Esan Central Local Government Area.

Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote, Okpebholo said that although the exercise was peaceful, the BVAS machines deployed by INEC were causing unnecessary delay.

“Well, I just voted. You can see the frustration.

“The BVAS is just too slow. It takes too long before you can get accredited.

” I think INEC needs to look into this. So far, so good, the reports I’m getting are good,” Okpebholo said. (THISDAY)