Eye witness account of how Violence disrupted PVC collection at Ikpoba Okha

The ongoing collection of Personal Voters Card (PVC) at designated points nationwide by the  Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , may have suffered a setback as the exercise was disrupted by violence in some parts of Benin City, the Edo State Capital,  over the weekend.

According to an eye witness account, the violence which halted the smooth  exercise at ward 6 at St Maria Gorretti in Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo state  on saturday,  started  when all of a sudden, fight broke out  over an unknown cause  between two boys who were said to have strolled into the venue of the exercise. It was gathered further that while the scuffle was going on, another group of people suspected to be loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party,( PDP) came into the hall where  the collection was going on and made straight for the INEC officials and started beating the INEC woman with  plastic chairs and tables they had broken. It was  further learnt that many  who had not collected their PVC's ran for safety.

When this reporter visited the venue of the exercise, the hall was deserted with broken bottles, chairs and tables littering  the place with few number of people still coming in to see if they could collect their PVC's.

One of the respondents, a resident of the area, Mr Blessing  Ileogben at ward 6  who spoke with  the champion Newspaper  reporter said he came into the hall at about 9:30 am and met so many people for the exercise including INEC officials  and was given  number 190. He said he had to leave to do other things only to come back and meet the venue in disarray and could not collect his PVC.

The Ward 6  Labour Party Chairman, Deacon Festus Ijoko   said he  was seriously beaten up with broken plastic chairs by the hoodlums during the fight that disrupted the exercise.

According to him,

" I came in  to arrange some chairs and tables for the INEC officials so that they could conduct  the exercise without having to stand all through.

"I left the venue to attend to other issues but when I came back, I was told that there was serious fighting and the INEC woman had to run for her dear life. I called the area command who sent police officers so that the exercise could continue  smoothly.  So, I called the INEC woman to come back and continue the exercise  but  she said she wasn't coming back for fear of being attacked. So, I decided to call the Executive officer (EO) in charge of Ikpoba Okha Local government who went and brought back the INEC woman and the other staff but before they came back, the police had already left. They were able to continue without the presence of the police. 

"While the exercise was going on, two  boys walked into the hall and started shouting at each other. Before we knew it, they started fighting. While this was going on, another group  came into the hall and upturned the chairs and tables and  started breaking them. They broke bottles everywhere.

 "Armed with the broken chairs, they made straight for the INEC woman whom they beat up severely. In an attempt to stop them from further assaulting the woman, some of them descended on me. 

"With the broken bottles, they injured so many people and blood was everywhere.

"I am very disturbed about this ugly and unnecessary development which took place at ward 6, 7, 9, and 10.

" This is just to collect voters card and we are experiencing such high level of violence?  People should be able to collect their voters card to vote for their preferred candidate without being molested ", he concluded.  

Another respondent who pleaded to remain anonymous said that the disruption was masterminded by the Peoples Democratic Party loyalists who he claimed saw that majority of the People collecting their voters cards were youths presumed to be Labour Party supporters who are said to be dominant in the area.

According to him,  "yesterday, when the thugs , supervised by one man popularly called Apostle, saw that majority of the youths collecting their voters card were labour Party supporters, they decided to stop the exercise so as to disenfranchise them from voting for their preferred candidate.  

Responding to call put across to her, the INEC officer , Mrs  Sarah Olariwanju confirmed the disruption and fight that chased them away from ward 6.

She however said that except adequate security is provided for her  at the ward, she would not go back to St  Gorretti  as collection continues in INEC office at Aduwawa.

According to the press statement released by Head of INEC Voters Education in Edo State, Mr. Timidi Wariowe, "INEC has relocated collection centers for ward 1, 9  to the INEC local government office in Ikpoba-Oha while collection center for ward 6 is now at Aduwawa, Benin City".

INEC however called on community leaders, to ensure safety of INEC officers and materials to ensure that every Voters collect their PVCs and are able to vote in the election.

All attempts  to get the reaction of PDP ward 6  Chairman in Ikpoba-Okha proved unsuccessful as  the party Secretariat was deserted , and efforts to get him on phone proved abortive.

 Recall earlier  in December 2022 the  Edo Labour Party accused the Peoples Democratic Party of violently taking over its party secretariat in the same ward.