By Theophilus Adedokun

Ayodele Oluwafemi

Some loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) violently assaulted Ayodele Oluwafemi, a journalist with TheCable, while he was covering the Osun state governorship election on Saturday.

The incident took place at the polling unit of Bola Oyebamiji, the APC candidate in the election. The polling unit is located at Gantry Sawmill, Ikire I, Irewole LGA of Osun.

Voting at the polling unit, which has more than 2,000 registered voters, continued well beyond the official closing time of 2:30pm.

Voters checking their names

With daylight fading around 6pm, residents brought out a generator and electric bulbs to provide lighting and enable the continuation of voting.

After the generator was turned on, Oluwafemi continued his assignment of documenting proceedings. Suddenly, he was accosted by two men who questioned why he was still at the polling unit around 7pm.

The generator Oluwafemi was filming before he was accosted by the party supporters

Oluwafemi, a staff writer at TheCable, said he informed the men that he was a journalist assigned to cover the polling unit.

Rather than retreat, the men grabbed him by his shirt, slapped him several times and snatched his identity card issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Three other men also joined in the assault. During the attack, the men repeatedly asked what he was doing at the polling unit around 7pm.

At some point, the police officers at the polling unit — who had initially overlooked the incident — eventually shielded him from further attacks.

“I quickly ran to take cover at one of the police vans. The men kept pursuing me. As I was about to enter the police van, one of the police officers pushed me away,” Oluwafemi said.

“I fell to the ground. While on the ground, one of the men kicked me. Suddenly, a group of police officers formed a shield around me to stop the men.”

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Despite the intervention of the police officers, the men insisted that he produce his organisation’s identity card, after which they left him alone.

“Why are you still at this polling unit late tonight?” the team lead of the police officers later asked Oluwafemi.

The officer subsequently asked the journalist to promptly leave the polling unit, saying people were miffed by his presence.

As Oluwafemi attempted to regain his composure and make his way out of the vicinity, one of the attackers, who was dressed in a private security guard’s uniform, chased him away with a horsewhip.

Source: TheCable