The spate of thuggery, blood-letting and violence ahead of the Ondo State governorship election scheduled to hold on Saturday has reached an alarming proportion.
Suspected thugs have literally held the state by the jugular as they maim, destroy and rupture peace in the state.
Palpable fear has gripped the people as many are lamenting that the ugly episode of 1983 was about to be reignited.
The three major political parties, All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), have continued to trade blame as violence trailed their electioneering campaigns across the 18 council areas of Ondo.
Supporters of the APC and PDP are the worst culprits as they continued to flex muscles, brandishing dangerous weapons and inflicting injury on innocent people across the state.
It was also gathered that no fewer than 45 political thugs have been arrested following the spate of violence ahead of the poll.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had, during a three-day working visit to the state, expressed concern over the spate of violence in Ondo ahead of the poll and insisted that the 17 political parties participating in the election should sign a peace accord
Yakubu said, “We are aware of the violence involving supporters of political parties.
The accord was indeed signed by the three contenders to the Alagbaka Government House, thus giving hope of peaceful campaigns and election on Saturday.
But events appear to be proving everyone wrong.
