…We’re Only Enforcing IGP’s Order – Army Spokesman
SAN FRANCISCO, April 11, (THEWILL) – Fierce-looking soldiers Saturday barred the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, and hundreds of others from driving to their Polling Units as the soldiers locked down Asaba, the state capital.
The soldiers were said to have disrupted the Governorship and House of Assembly elections within the Asaba metropolis as their bid to enforce the no-vehicular movement order by the Inspector General Police (IGP) reportedly prevented many from reaching their Polling Units.
The soldiers were said to have confiscated keys of drivers, including that of the Commissioner who were driving to their polling units.
Many of the cars whose keys were collected by the soldiers were left in the middle of the Nnebisi Road, the most popular and busiest road in the state capital.
The soldiers also stopped movement of people at the Flyover Bridge as well as John Bosco, the polling unit where Ogeah was billed to vote.
The development however sent shivers down the spines of some voters who alleged that the activities of the soldiers breached the peaceful nature of the environment and created apprehension among voters who had finished accreditation and waiting for voting.
Local sources said the soldiers had demanded for the key of the Commissioner’s car, but when Ogeah identified himself as a civil commissioner with his Permanent Voters Card and other means of identification, the soldiers blatantly refused to listen to his explanation, hence the fracas that disrupted the peaceful process at the John Bosco polling unit.
Visibly angry, Ogeah had challenged the effrontery and audacity of the soldiers on his person, saying the action of the soldiers scared away voters from casting their votes.
According to Ogeah, “They came to meet me and demanded the key from my driver. We even said please, let us park, they refused to allow us leave the road. I identified myself. They still took the key and went away. I’m surprised at the embarrassment of the soldiers.
“I’ve been trying to reach the governor but you know he is far away in his village voting but I’m sure I’ll get him so that we look at the matter and know what is going on in Asaba so that we can tell what is really happening. We need to know the people behind this activity of the soldiers. We want Nigerians to know that Asaba is a very peaceful place.
“Right now all our voters have been scared away. We can’t find them anymore. And we don’t know whether this is a larger agenda by whoever is directing this”.
But a spokesman of the army, who simply identified himself as Olaleye, said the seizure of keys from vehicle drivers was an order from the Inspector General of Police that no vehicular movement should be allowed on Election Day.
According to him, “the order of no vehicular movement means no vehicular movement between 8.am and 6pm. It’s only security agents and others on essential duties that are supposed to be with their vehicles. The issue of ballot snatching is traceable to movement of vehicles and tricycles on election days.
“So while we were going round, there was a lot of vehicular movement and we decided to enforce the no-vehicular movement order by the IGP. It was announced on the radio and television. People are supposed to walk to their polling units and cast their votes.
“Nobody has collected any PVC from anybody. All we are saying is that your vehicle is not supposed to be on the road.”
Answering a question on the distance from residence to polling unit and the fact that there were some vehicular movements during the presidential election, Olaleye said “we are simply enforcing an order from the Inspector General of Police.”
