The rerun local government election in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State took place yesterday under huge security.

A combined team of plain- clothed and mobile policemen, officials and men of the Department of State Security Service, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) ensured that it went troubled-free.

Human and vehicular movements in and outside the local government were restricted.

Vehicles coming from Osogbo in Osun State to Offa and Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State were diverted to other routes.

The Police Commissioner, Agboola Oshodi-Glover, was on ground to monitor the conduct of the election.

He told reporters that the huge presence of security operatives was as a result of the drafting of personnel from other divisions

Oshodi-Glover said: “We don’t want to disclose the number of policemen that are here but we have enough manpower.

“We have deployed all our resources and manpower for the smooth conduct of the election.”

Investigations revealed that sufficient ballot papers did not arrive on time in some polling wards.

The Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC), Dr UthmanAjidagba, advanced reasons for the development.

He said: “In the process of dispatching them (ballot papers) some officers did not wait enough to collect the sufficient ballot papers.

“Those areas that initially did not get sufficient ballot papers have been sufficiently addressed.”

The chairmanship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Saheed Popoola, said: “So far so good, the conduct of the election has been devoid of any hitche save initial short supply of ballot papers. What we want is that the collation centres should not be rough.

“We want the a situation where security agents will concentrate on the ward collation centres and local government collation centres and the declaration of the result for the councilors at the ward collation centres and the chairman’s result declared at the local government secretariat, not Ilorin.

“The election is taking place in Offa and it must be declared here. If the election result is collated and declared here the way it is going on definitely I know it will be fair enough.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prince AbdulwaheedOlanipekun, described the conduct of the election as smooth and peaceful