Voting was disrupted at the polling unit of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, in Ejigbo, Osun State, on Saturday after suspected thugs invaded the area shortly after the candidate cast his ballot.
The incident occurred at Unit 003, Iroyin Ayo Open Space, Ward 004, shortly after Salaam arrived at the polling unit with his wife and voted.
The development caused panic among voters and electoral officials, with some people reportedly scampering for safety as the situation became tense.
Salaam was quickly escorted away from the polling unit by his security operatives, while some voters abandoned the queue and moved away from the area.
Personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) later arrived at the polling unit to restore order and secure the area.
As of the time of filing this report, voting had yet to commence at the polling unit following the disruption. Voters and electoral officials remained at the scene while security personnel worked to restore normalcy.
The incident came shortly after Salaam expressed alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exercise, including the exclusion of some ADC agents from polling units.
The identities of the suspected thugs and the circumstances that led to the incident could not immediately be established.
Security personnel remained at the polling unit as efforts continued to restore normalcy and allow voting to resume.
