Tension erupted on Saturday at Ozolua Model Primary School, Iguobazuwa East Ward, headquarters of Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State, after an agent of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was attacked by angry voters over allegations of hoarding Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
The agent, whose identity was not immediately disclosed, was reportedly mobbed by residents after he allegedly refused to release the PVCs in his possession to their rightful owners.
A voter who gave his name simply as Robert said the community entrusted their cards to the agent during the registration exercise, believing they would retrieve them on election day. However, matters escalated when the agent allegedly withheld the cards, sparking suspicion that he was working to frustrate voters perceived to be supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Omosede Igbinedion.
“The PDP agent has our voter cards and we need them to vote, but he refused to release them. People got angry and descended on him. The truth is, he mobilised us for registration, so when the cards came, many people gave them to him for safekeeping. But he refused to hand them back because most of us want to vote for APC’s Omosede Igbinedion,” Robert alleged.
Eyewitnesses said the situation quickly turned chaotic until the timely intervention of police officers who rescued the embattled PDP agent from being lynched.
As of press time, security personnel had restored order at the polling unit, while investigations into the incident were ongoing.
