The Nation Newspaper

Category: Osun 2014

Osun Election stories

  • Aregbesola in early lead

    Aregbesola in early lead

    Early results from various local governments the Osun State governorship election indicate that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola ahead of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyiola Omisore .

    Aregbesola scored 640 votes while Omisore was trailing him with nine votes in the unit where the first civilian governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke normally vote in Ede.

    The PDP deputy governorship candidate, Hon. Adejare Bello, was reported to have lost his polling unit in Ede as PDP scored 30 votes while APC scored 130 votes.

    The State Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa lost in his Olorunda ward 1 GRA as PDP scored 95 votes while APC scored 142 votes.

    In Osogbo ward 8 units 4, APC scored 300 votes while PDP 58 votes, ward 7 unit 14, APC scored 133 votes and PDP scored 20 votes, ward 4 unit 12, APC scored 210 votes, PDP scored 78, ward 4 unit 21, APC scored 139 votes, while PDP scored 46 votes.

    The state deputy governor, Otunba Titilayo Olaoye Tomori, won in her unit in Osogbo.

    In all the units in ward 2 of Ifelodun Local government area, APC had 1,367 votes while PDP polled 861 votes.

    The PDP candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore won most of the polling units in Ife Central local government area like ward 10 unit 3 where PDP scored 140 votes and APC scored 62 votes, ward 3 unit 8, PDP scored 95 votes and APC scored 26 votes, unit 4, PDP scored 100 votes and APC scored 64 votes, unit 11.

    The PDP reportedly scored 34 votes while APC scored 14 votes, unit 2 PDP scored 118 votes while APC scored61 votes. In unit 10, PDP scored 101 votes while APC scored 41 votes, unit 12, PDP scored b108 votes while APC scored 47 votes.

    In Fagbesa street (Unit 013) of the local government, APC won with 253 votes to PDP’s 75.

    APC cleared 217 votes in Fagbewesa/Ataoja ‘D’/ Osogbo (Unit 014) against PDP’s 70.

    In Polling unit 16, Ward 4 in Fagbewesa, APC scored 133 while PDP got 42 votes. In Units 12 and 21of the same ward, APC scored 210 and 139 against PDP’s 78 and 46 respectively.

    Besides, APC swept 236 votes at Ward 12, Jagun (Unit 001), opposite Catholic Church of the same local government.

    Results received from Olorunda Local Government, Ward 12 (Unit 3) shows that APC scored 271 while PDP got 94 votes.

    Also, in Ward 2 (Units 5 and 9) of the same local government, APC scooped 216 and 228 respectively while PDP earned 94 and 127 in the same manner.

    In Ward 4, Unit 10, Alajue area, Ede South Local Government, APC got 188 votes while PDP won 92.

    However, in Odo Otin Local Government Area, Ward 1 (Unit 3) where former PDP National secretary, Olagusoye Oyinlola voted, PDP swept 125 votes against APC’s 61.

    The PDP was reportedly leading in Ile-Ife and its environs.

    The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Olusegun Agbaje said INEC was yet to conclude the collation of results, saying the results would be formally announced as soon as final collation is made.

    Politicians, election observers and Journalists were however waiting anxiously at the INEC state secretariat for the final results of the election.

  • INEC commends Osun voters

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commended the peaceful and orderly  conduct of the August 9, gubernatorial election in Osun state.

    According to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun state, Mr. Segun Agbaje the conduct of the election has been peaceful in the three senatorial zones in the state.
    Agbaje who went on a tour of the three senatorial zones to monitor the conduct of the election said the voters displayed a high level of electoral awareness in the conduct of the election.

    “ We have seen the people waiting patiently to start the process of voting, from Osogbo to Ilesa and Ife, the people understood the system and it shows that democracy is working.”
    The Nation correspondent who went on a tour of the state with INEC officials reported that the REC maintained that accreditation will not end until the last person on the line has been accredited and voting will not end until the last person has voted.
    “ We do not expect anyone to be disenfranchised, we have put everything in place to ensure that everyone who turned out must vote. We thank the people of the state for heeding our call to come and vote in a peaceful and orderly manner,” Agbaje said.
    In Iremo ward 3, Ife Central, the REC commended the voters for orderly conduct and praised the INEC officials for following due process during the election process. In Osogbo, Agbaje who went round different polling units said the conduct of the election was satisfactory.
    “ We expect the process to end very well, we have done everything that is required of us to do for the process to end very well,” he said. However, Agbaje denied that the election was militarized. “ I didn’t see too much of security, we asked for security for the voters and our personnel  and that is what we got, the most important thing is that everyone is safe.”
    The INEC boss said reports of arrests of political leaders did not affect the conduct of the election. On the number of registered political parties, Agbaje said two candidates pulled out. “ Two candidates pulled out, we received their letters but we said it did nto follow due process because no candidate can pull out less than 45 days to the election.”
    He said even though there were 20 political parties registered on the ballot paper, only 18 candidates were eligible for the election.
    While maintaining that it is the primary duty of INEC to educate voters on conduct of election, he said political parties and nongovernmental organizations must also help in educating the voters.
    “The people of Osun are very knowledgeable, they have done well. We did our best regarding voter education but the political parties must also educate their supporters,” Agbaje said.

  • This election is worse – Akande

    This election is worse – Akande

    Former Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, has described the handling of Saturday’s governorship in Osun State as a disservice to democracy.

    He said this may be the worst election since 1966.

    He stated that accreditation was poorly handled in some areas.

    Akande also complained about the arrest of APC leaders and supporters.

  • Osun: Election observers commend INEC

    Election observers in Ilesa, the home town of Governor Rauf Aregbesola have   commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for ensuring timely arrival of electoral materials and election officials at polling units.

    The observers spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilesa West and East Local Governments.

    They said the early arrival of the officials would be crucial to a successful outcome of the poll.

    Mr. Terfa Hemen, an observer from the Centre for Democracy Development, said he had monitored six polling units in Ilesa West and Ilesa East, adding that INEC officials arrived before 8am.

    He said the timely arrival of INEC officials for the accreditation exercise was indicative of an election that would be credible and fair.

    Mrs. Cynthia Mbamalu, an observer from Youths Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Development, said the conduct of INEC was commendable compared to previous elections.

    Mbamalu said the INEC officials arrived at the polling units on time and accreditation started at 8am in most of the polling units in Ilesa West and Ilesa East.

    A Peoples Democratic Party’s agent, Mr. Oluwaseun Oni, also commended INEC for the timely accreditation of voters.

    Oni also described the turn out of voters for the accreditation exercise as impressive.

    An All Progressives Congress agent, Mrs. Victoria Olaide, said INEC officials arrived before 8am for the accreditation exercise.

    Olaide, who said the timely accreditation of voters, was commendable, expressed optimism that the election would be free and fair.

    According to a PPA stalwart, Adekunle Busuyi, the proper provision and distribution of election materials would ensure a hitch-free exercise.

     

  • My experience with security agents – Lai Mohammed

    My experience with security agents – Lai Mohammed

    The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Saturday said his arrest by security agents in Osogbo, Osun State, was because he belongs to the opposition.

    He stated that his “Gestapo Style” arrest shows the level of illegality, lawlessness, anarchy and intolerance to which Nigeria has descended under President Goodluck Jonathan’s watch.

    In a statement issued on Saturday in Osogbo, Mohammed said he was arrested along with Mr. Sunday Dare, the Media Aide to APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, and Mr. Afolabi Salisu, the Deputy Chief of Staff to Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

    He said, ”We were being driven to the Government House when we were stopped at a military check point by men in military and DSS uniforms, all hooded and armed to the teeth with AK-47 assault rifles, pistols and other weapons. Since there was no curfew in Osun State and people were moving around freely, we felt it was a routine check.

    ”Suddenly, the men, some of them apparently drunk, ordered us out of the car, took our phones, pointed their assault rifles at our heads and said ‘you are under arrest.’ They herded us into their bus like animals and drove away. There is no doubt that they knew who we are because I introduced myself!

    ”From our encounter with our tormentors, there is also no doubt that these were not just soldiers and DSS officials, there were also ex-militants and thugs, all clad in military and DSS uniforms but apparently lacking in any training! We also witnessed how men in military and DSS uniform fired their guns at the gate leading to the residence of Senator Isiaka Adeleke to force it open!

    ”We asked them why we were being arrested, but they ignored our question as they drove for close to one hour before veering into a compound that turned out to be the offices of the DSS. There, we met people who had been previously arrested and stripped of their clothing, many of them bloodied from the beatings to which they must have been subjected.

    ”We were herded to one side as our tormentors marched around triumphantly, in what could well have been a scene from the Ukraine! We were waiting for our turn to be stripped of our apparels and taken along with those who were arrested earlier to the DSS cells when a man who is apparently a senior DSS official intervened and ordered our release. The men who arrested us, apparently unhappy at the order to set us free, rejected the order, until the man asserted his authority and even accompanied us to where we were arrested from.

    ”Back there, we discovered that our driver has been badly beaten and even robbed of his personal belongings by the same security agents being paid by the taxpayers to protect the citizens, whose ranks have now been swelled, willingly, by thugs and ex-militants, armed and dressed in official uniforms by the PDP and sanctioned by the Jonathan-led Federal Government!

    ”This arrest is not about Lai Mohammed, Sunday Dare or Afolabi Salisu, whoever we may be, but about the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of Nigerians, ordinary Nigerians, to move around freely, associate with any party of their choice and express their opinions without being molested or arrested.

    ”The way and manner we were harassed, arrested and dehumanized on Friday night show that Nigerian citizens can no longer be sure that the security agents they encounter on the roads or anywhere else are well-trained and highly-disciplined men and women in the military, police, DSS and others that we used to know. What we have now are Jonathan’s soldiers, policemen and DSS officials who have since stopped working for the nation but are now the enforcement arm of the PDP.”

  • Adeleke ‘escapes hired assassins’

    Adeleke ‘escapes hired assassins’

    The former Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, narrowly escaped assassins’ bullet on Friday in his home town Ede.

    The gunmen, who came in convoy of four vehicles reportedly waylaid the APC chieftain who was going to his mother’s house around 1pm in the afternoon.

    Adeleke, who disclosed this to The Nation shortly after his accreditation at Sagba Abogunde ward in Ede town, said one of those that attacked him is a Peoples Democratic Party youth leader who identified him (Adeleke) in his car and shouted that he should open the door.

     

  • Aregbesola to FG: Be committed to democracy

    Aregbesola to FG: Be committed to democracy

    The Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s governorship poll has charged the Federal Government to show commitment to the country’s democracy.

    Speaking shortly after he was accredited alongside his wife, Serifat, and children, at exactly 10.45am at Ifofin ward 8, unit 1 polling centre in Ilesa, the governor condemned the clampdown on chieftains and members of the APC across the state by security agents.

    He said: “They will have themselves to blame if they scuttle the democracy. You can see people’s patriotism and commitment to democracy. If they can be 20 percent committed like the ordinary people, the nation would have been the best for it. What they are doing by picking our chieftains and members is barbaric.

    “They have been arresting, harassing and molesting our people for no just reason. The democracy is about making your choice freely without being hounded.”

    The governor said with his observation so far things are going well with the voting process, except for the arrest, intimidation and harassment of the APC chieftains by the Peoples Democratic Party, using the security agents.

    Meanwhile, voters’ turn out in Osogbo, the state capital and Ilesa was very impressive.

    People started leaving their homes as early as 6.30am for polling centres.

    Despite the early morning drizzle, many trekked long distances to polling centres in the two cities.

  • Osun: Waiting to vote

    Osun: Waiting to vote

    Waiting to vote
    Waiting to vote
  • Photo: PDP candidate Omisore’s house at 9.30am

    Photo: PDP candidate Omisore’s house at 9.30am

    Omisore's residence
    Omisore’s residence
  • Osun: Accreditation of voters commence

    Osun: Accreditation of voters commence

    Accreditation of voters has commenced for today’s gubernatorial election in Osun State.

    Reports indicate that voters turned in large numbers in many parts of the state.

    Electoral officers arrived early in some of the polling stations visited by our reporters.

    Voters in Osogbo trooped out to various polling booths as early as 7am to begin accreditation.

    In Moro Ward 8 in Ife North North voters told our reporter that the exercise was going on smoothly.

    At the open space in Falaju Unit, Iremo ward 1.Ife Central, accreditation began at 8:30am.

    Voters were slow in coming but a 70year old Mrs Awokande Aduke who had bee accredited said she will wait till 12 noon to cast her vote.