Parties, observers, others take stock of Osun poll

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, political parties and others yesterday took stock of Saturday’s inconclusive governorship election in Osun State.

The CSOs expressed worry over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) delay in collating the Osun governorship election result.

The Convener of the Situation Room, Mr Clement Nwankwo, in a statement yesterday, said there was need for INEC to change the trend on collation of results and use of electronic method.

Nwankwo also expressed concern that the result collation took place mostly at night.

“On collation of results, Situation Room is concerned that the process of collation is delayed and appears to happen mostly at night.

“This is when the political parties, candidates, observers and other election stakeholders may have depleted away from observation of the process, especially with fears of insecurity.

“This trend needs to change and INEC should consider an improvement and innovation in its processes that will enable the collation of results in as much of daylight as possible and thus reduce night time election activities.”

Nwankwo called on the INEC to open up its e-collation method to independent observers and other stakeholders in the electoral process to eliminate the present suspicion that now clouds the use of the said e-collation system.

He said this would create an understanding of this aspect of the election process and win support for its use.

“To further increase the credibility of election results, INEC will need to return to its previous practice of immediate publication of polling unit election results .

“As well as publishing all of the comprehensive details of collated results, including the Form EC60E, on its website and to be accessible to all.

“Situation Room also calls on INEC to ensure that its announcement of the introduction of Braille for voting is made operational across the country and that all persons with disabilities are able to vote during elections,” he said

Nwankwo said the Situation Room deployed observers across the 30 local government areas of the state to monitor the election .

He said incidents of vote buying reoccurred in the Osun State elections, even though at a reduced and less brazen manner.

He called on INEC to intensify the training of the different cadres of its staff to enhance their understanding of election duties and increase their confidence and ability to respond to election day challenges.

He, however, hailed INEC on early commencement of the voting process, adding that polling units across the state opened early for accreditation and voting.

He commended the people of Osun, the political parties and the security agencies on their good conduct.

Nwankwo said the announcement by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and law enforcement officials that they would arrest vote-buyer suspects and charge them to court helped significantly in reducing the malpractice.

He said: “As with recent INEC conducted governorship elections, incidents of vote buying reoccurred during the Osun State governorship election, even if at a reduced and less-brazen manner.

“Incidents now seem subtler with the announcement by INEC and law enforcement officials that suspects would be arrested and charged to court, and the actual deployment of security personnel to enforce this helped significantly.”

The coordinator commended Osun residents and political parties for conducting themselves peacefully during the poll.

He, however, called on INEC to intensify training of its different cadre of staff to enhance their understanding of their election duties and increase their confidence and ability to respond to election challenges.

Nwankwo said it was observed during the election that some INEC staff and officials were not sure of their responses to voters’ concerns or voting procedures, which he said created delay.

He also called on the electoral body to look into the process of results collation, which he said was usually done at night when political parties, candidates, observers and other election stakeholders “may have been depleted”.

The NCS recommended that INEC should ensure that its announcement of the introduction of Braille for voting was made operational across the country and that all people living with disabilities were able to vote during elections.

Group lauds INEC, police over peaceful conduct of election

A SOCIO-POLITICAL group, Southern Nigeria Peoples Mandate (SNPM), has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police over peaceful conduct of Osun governorship election.

Its President, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu yesterday.

Chukwudum also applauded INEC for the prompt arrival of voting materials and early commencement of voting in most polling booths in the state.

He said: “The SNPM is calling on the nation’s electoral body, INEC, to extend this recorded peaceful conduct of Osun governorship poll to the much-anticipated 2019 general elections.

“We are also calling on INEC to look into the issue of malfunctioning Card Readers.’

Chukwudum praised the Nigerian Police, for arresting some vote buyers and sellers during the election, adding that it should serve as deterrent to other Nigerians engaging in the ‘shameful act’.

He added: “The SNPM commends the Nigeria Police for the professional conduct of its personnel which led to the arrest of some vote buyers and sellers.

“It wants all Nigerians to completely frown at vote buying and selling, as well as expose those in the shameful habit.”

Last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State took place amidst a peaceful atmosphere, compared to other previous governorship elections held in recent times.

 APC hails INEC’s decision

THE Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the state has been saved from the savage jaws of evil with the declaration.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi, the APC said: “It was providential. Osun has been miraculously saved from the savage jaws of the evil that could have been fallen into if the monster called the PDP had won the election. It was the limit that corrupt money could go to buy up an election.

“Now that Osun has been given a second chance to escape from the calamity it almost fell into, the people of Osogbo, Orolu, Ife South and Ife North now have the enormous task to save the state from predator-politicians.

“On Thursday September 27, that is the mission that they have. We therefore call on all citizens in these polling areas to sacrifice everything they can on that day to become the great heroes and heroines  of our beloved state.

“We use this opportunity to thank all those who summoned courage in spite of  the ‘blood’ money on offer by the PDP to vote against their conscience, stood their ground and voted for the APC. The unfinished job will be concluded on Thursday by the Grace of God.”

All quiet in Iragbiji over election

IRAGBIJI and its environs were quiet yesterday, after last Sunday’s governorship election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Iragbiji is the home town of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the election, Gboyega Oyetola. The ordinarily sleepy  town was alive at the weekend with the expectation of victory for Oyetola.

When our reporter went round the town,  residents gathered in groups in a few places, discussing the outcome of the election, but traders were already out with their wares to return to their normal life.

The front of the palace of the Aragbiji was empty, unlike Saturday when voters and other indigenes besieged the town centre to chat with friends and recall fond memories.

Taxi drivers and commercial motorcyclists also returned to business after an early noon rainfall.

A resident who spoke to The Nation in confidence, expressed disappointment with the election, saying it would be difficult to predict the outcome of Thursday’s supplementary poll.

No one should be underestimated, says Oyo APC

THE Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday declared that the conduct of last Saturday governorship election in Osun State should serve as a lesson that no one should be underestimated in any contest.

The party said judging by all the negativity that trailed the APC  leading challenger in the Osun governorship poll, anyone would have written him off in the contest.

Reacting to last Saturday’s election in Osun State, which was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , the APC Director of Media, Research and Strategies and Publicity Secretary,  Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde, said the experience garnered in the Osun election would be deployed to good use in Oyo State, starting from the  primary election.

Olatunde said: “Also, the keenness or the  competitiveness of the Osun election is a reminder to the people that have the mandate of the electorates that there is a judgement day in waiting when the mandate would  either be renewed with good performances or repositioned to another party or person.

“In relation to Oyo State, it shows that no one can be taken for granted or underestimated, considering all the negativity that trails APC leading challenger to the election, most would have written him off. That is another lesson that voting patterns and trends are most times unpredictable.

“As for Oyo 2019, we have learned a lot of lessons which we hope to deploy to good use starting from our primaries.

“Also, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  in Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, has described as unacceptable the reason given by INEC for declaring the Osun governorship election inconclusive.

Makinde said the PDP candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, won the highest number of votes and scored 25 per cent in more than two thirds of the 30 local government areas in the state and as such ought to have been declared the winner of the election.

Makinde said Senator Adeleke won the election fair and square.

He said INEC must have buckled under pressure from desperate politicians whose cupboards are filled with filth.

The PDP governorship aspirant said that the decision by the election umpire is a disservice to democracy and will not stand the test of time.

He said such miscarriage of justice, no matter how short, will not be allowed to happen in Oyo State.

Makinde, on behalf of members of PDP in Oyo State, applauded the good people of Osun State for the role they played against anti-democratic forces who did everything humanly possible to reverse the wheel of progress.

He said it is disheartening to note that since the advent of the APC at the federal level, all elections conducted by INEC have been riddled with controversies and failed to meet basic international standard.

Agoro hails Ooni for not voting

Olapade Agoro, the presidential candidate of the National Action Council (NAC) in next year’s election yesterday hailed the decision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, not to cast his vote in the last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

There were media reports that Oba Ogunwusi did not vote despite the fact there is a polling unit by the palace, because he saw all the governorship candidates as his subjects.

Speaking with reporters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday, Agoro commended the revered traditional ruler, describing his action as “very laudable and respectable”.

The NAC presidential candidate maintained that what the Ooni Ogunwusi did was honouring the throne of Oduduwa and the whole of Yoruba race.

He said: “The Ooni ‘risa, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi has placed himself on the side of honour. The position of the Ooni of Ife is above all political positions. The Ooni should be a rallying point for all sons and daughters of Oodu, irrespective of political inclinations.

“The Ooni has been doing well since he ascended the exalted throne. He has been promoting the rich culture of the Yoruba race above political considerations. So far, so good, he has been doing a good job on the throne.”