Voting in the Osun State governorship election was reportedly disrupted at the polling unit of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam, in Ejigbo Local Government Area, following an alleged attack involving a suspected political thug identified as “Big Hammer.”
The incident occurred on Saturday as voters across the state turned out to participate in the governorship election amid heightened political tension and concerns over possible violence.
According to reports, the alleged disruption created panic among voters, election agents and other residents at the polling location, forcing some people to flee the area for safety.
“Big Hammer,” who was described in reports as a suspected thug loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC), was allegedly involved in the incident that disrupted activities at the polling unit. However, the allegations could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate official confirmation from the APC regarding the claim.
A video reportedly obtained by SaharaReporters showed voters and election agents running in different directions as the situation unfolded.
One individual captured in the footage recounted how some people were forced to scale a fence in an attempt to escape the disturbance.
“We had to jump the fence to escape, this is very uncalled for,” the individual said.
The reported incident has added to growing concerns over the security situation surrounding the election, with allegations of intimidation, attacks and disruption emerging from different parts of Osun State.
Another video reportedly showed a vehicle that had been damaged during an incident, while residents expressed frustration over the violence and destruction allegedly associated with the electoral process.
Some residents questioned why an election designed to allow citizens to freely choose their preferred leaders had become associated with fear, violence and destruction.
The reported disruption at Salam’s polling unit is particularly significant because of the political importance of the ADC candidate and the intense competition surrounding the election. The development also came at a time when political parties and candidates were calling on voters to remain peaceful and urging security agencies to protect polling units across the state.
The incident also coincided with allegations made by Governor Ademola Adeleke concerning an alleged plot to interfere with the electoral process.
Adeleke, who spoke shortly after casting his ballot at Unit 009, Ward 2, Ede North Local Government Area, alleged that a police officer identified as “London” had been brought from Port Harcourt to Osun State to disrupt voting.
The governor called on the Inspector-General of Police and other senior security officials to closely monitor the activities of the alleged officer.
“It’s going well and I hope it continues like that but I got some information for my people in Osun State. There is one Police officer called London from Port Harcourt, they brought him to come and disorganise the vote,” Adeleke said.
He further alleged that the officer had been brought into the state by the APC as part of an alleged plan to interfere with voting, particularly in Ede, his hometown.
“The APC in Osun brought him to come and destroy my town,” the governor alleged, urging the Police Commissioner, Deputy Inspector-General of Police and other security officials responsible for election security to take note of the situation.
Adeleke also alleged that there were attempts to bypass the established process of collation from polling units to wards and local government areas before results reached the final collation centre.
He insisted that the electoral process must follow the prescribed procedures.
“I have it on authority of information that they don’t want to go through the normal process of from units to wards and to local government, they just want to take it all the way to the collation centre and that is not acceptable,” he said.
The governor expressed confidence in his chances of winning the election while urging his supporters to remain vigilant.
The allegations by Adeleke, however, remain claims and had not been independently established at the time of reporting. There was also no immediate confirmation from the APC or the police regarding the specific allegations concerning the alleged officer.
The reported disruption involving “Big Hammer” similarly underscores the broader concerns about the role of political thugs in Nigerian elections. Political violence and intimidation have historically been identified as major threats to credible elections, particularly where supporters of competing parties seek to influence voters or disrupt the activities of rival parties.
For voters, such incidents can have serious consequences. Fear at polling units may discourage eligible citizens from voting, prevent party agents from performing their duties and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Political parties and civil society organisations have therefore continued to call on security agencies to ensure that voters, electoral officials and accredited party agents are protected throughout voting and the subsequent collation of results.
The responsibility for maintaining law and order rests primarily with the security agencies deployed for the election. Their presence at polling units is intended to deter violence, protect election materials and personnel, and ensure that citizens can exercise their constitutional right to vote without intimidation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on its part, is expected to ensure that voting and collation are conducted in accordance with established electoral procedures and that the final outcome reflects the ballots legitimately cast by voters.
The latest incident at the ADC candidate’s polling unit has consequently renewed calls for restraint among political actors and their supporters.
As voting and collation proceed, attention remains focused on the security agencies and electoral officials to prevent further disturbances and ensure that the Osun governorship election is concluded peacefully.
Stakeholders have also stressed that political disagreements should be settled through lawful democratic channels rather than through violence, intimidation or destruction of property.
With the electorate exercising its franchise, the central demand from citizens remains straightforward: every eligible voter should be allowed to cast a ballot freely, every vote should be properly counted and the final result should be determined by the will of the people.
