A viral social media video has surfaced, showing the aftermath of how thugs affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) violently disrupted the voting process in Unit 10, Ward 1, Awuyemi, Etsako East, during the just-concluded Edo governorship election.
According to eyewitness reports and the viral video footage, the group of thugs, allegedly led by a known local enforcer named Israel, stormed the polling unit, harassing voters, seizing ballot boxes, and intimidating election officials.
The incident, which took place on election day, was described as an orchestrated attempt to disenfranchise voters in the area and skew the election in favour of the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The viral video has been shared across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The APC thugs were led by one Israel who is a known hoodlum in the area.
One voter, who chose to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, told reporters: “We were standing in line to cast our votes when suddenly this group of thugs stormed in.
“They were aggressive, shouting at people to leave and threatening anyone who tried to resist. They took the ballot boxes and left us terrified. It’s clear they didn’t want us to vote for the candidate of our choice.”
Eyewitness Accounts of the Disruption
Several other witnesses at the scene corroborated the voter’s account, accusing Israel, the notorious thug, of orchestrating the attack.
Israel, whose real name has not been publicly disclosed, is well-known in Etsako East for his ties to APC politicians and has been involved in previous acts of electoral violence, according to residents.
A resident in the area, who also witnessed the attack, revealed: “It’s not the first time Israel has caused trouble during elections, but this time, it was worse.
“They just walked in like they owned the place, took the ballot boxes, and told everyone to leave. We were all scared because they were armed, and nobody wanted to get hurt.”