*As Navy arrests 10 thugs for electoral fraud

By Dayo Johnson

AKURE—THE ruling Labour Party, LP, in Ondo State yesterday accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as being responsible for the violence that characterized last Saturday’s Ilaje Constituency 11 bye-election in the State House of Assembly.

This was coming as the Commanding Officer of the Okitipupa Naval Base, Muhammed Mudasiru Kabiru said 10 hoodlums that disrupted last Saturday’s’ re-run election have been apprehended by the men of the Naval Base, Igbokoda.

Kabiru said the hoodlums were arrested by his men in conjunction with the Nigeria Army Okitipupa in Mahin ward 2, adding that they had been handed over to the police for investigation.

According to him, “the joint team of the Nigerian Army and the naval base officers rescued four Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC officials, one immigration staff and 40 policemen when they were attacked at Mahin ward 2 by unknown gunmen on the day of the election.

“The quick intervention of the joint team was the saving grace for the four INEC staff and the 40 policemen who were carrying voting materials to Mahin.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the party, Dr Olaiya Oni at a briefing fingered some leaders of the opposition party as the aggressors that imported political thugs to disrupt the election.

INEC had weekend, declared the LP candidate in the poll, Kunle Odidi winner having polled 8,777 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Thompson Atikase Otitoju who polled 6,709 votes.