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Category: Osun 2018

Osun Decides

  • NSCDC deploys over 10,000 operatives for Osun guber poll

    The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Friday said a total of 10,073 operatives is drafted for election duties in Osun State.

    Deputy Commandant General of the corps, Kelechi Madu stated this during a chat with reporters in Osogbo.

    Read Also:Ogun NSCDC rescues suspected kidnapper from being lynched

    He said 5,500 of the personnel would be deployed to man polling booths with the police, adding that the others would be assigned to other security duties in relation to the election.

    Although some of the operatives had complained of poor remuneration ranging from N580 to N4, 500 as against the N15, 000 per personnel allegedly approved for them; Madu said all the personnel deployed for elector duty got their allowances approved for them by the government.

    He said: “What the government approved was what was paid to them. What if the government said it was not going to pay anything? Would they not do their jobs?”

  • Uncollected PVCs in safe custody, INEC assures

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that all uncollected Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) have been kept safely in its strong room.
    The INEC dismissed allegations by some politicians that the commission had released uncollected PVCs to certain political parties and also compromised the card readers.
    The commission, therefore, warned all political parties participating in today’s Osun State governorship election to desist from making unfounded statement about 435,015 uncollected PVCs.
    The State Resident Electoral Commission of INEC, Olusegun Agbaje, at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital,  assured that the smart card readers have been prepared for optimal performance, adding that 996 have been reserved to serve as backups.
    He said: “Out of 1,246,915 registered voters, a total of 435,015 PVCs, that is 25.86 percent, are yet to be collected by their owners and are being kept in the INEC strong room at the state office here in Osogbo.
    “The commission has no plan whatsoever to give the uncollected PVCs to any political party. The Commission’s Smart Card Readers are not also designed to favour any political party. I therefore strongly advice all stakeholders in the Osun state governorship election, especially the political parties’ leaders and contestants, to desist from making unguarded utterances and unfounded allegations.
    “It should be noted that the commission has perfected plans with the security agencies to decisively deal with anyone engaging in any illicit act, particularly the notorious act of ‘see and buy’ as it is called in the local parlance during the election.”
    However, the REC appealed to newsmen to cooperate with the commission to ensure that the final result is announced by the INEC before circulating it to the public.
    Agbaje also gave out phone numbers for complaints of any kind by the electorate, the media and the general public in  the election.
    According to Agbaje, the situation room of the commission will be receiving complaints through 08168963080, 07057789656and 07086575910.
    The INEC boss, who assured people of the state of the commission’s readiness to conduct free, fair and credible election that will be acceptable to the people, announced that sensitive materials for the poll have been delivered to the commission and moved from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to all the 30 local government areas of the state.
    He stated that accreditation and voting will go on simultaneously between 8:00am and 2:00 pm, saying “only those on queue at 2pm will be allowed to vote.

  • NSCDC deploys over 10,000 operatives for Osun guber poll

    The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday said a total of 10,073 operatives for drafted for election duties in Osun State.

    Deputy Commandant General of the corps, Kelechi Madu stated this during a chat with reporters in Osogbo.

    He said 5,500 of the personnel would be deployed to mam polling booths with the police, adding that the others would be assigned to other security duties in relation to the election.

    Read Also: NSCDC apprehends six in Cross River

    Although some of the operatives had complained of poor remuneration ranging from N580 to N4,500 as against the N15,000 per personnel allegedly approved for them; Madu said all the personnel deployed for elector duty got thr allowances approved for them by the government.

    He said: “What the government approved was what was paid to them. What if the government said it was not going to pay anything? Would they not do their jobs?”

     

  • Osun Polls: Police talk tough, to arrest errant politicians

    …28,000 security operatives for polls, flash points identified

    …US declares process peaceful

    The police on Friday warned governors and other politicians alleged to be in Osun State to respect the Electoral Act and stay away from election areas or face arrest.

    Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Josak Habila and the coordinator of the joint security Taskforce for the election stated this during separate meetings with observers from National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) as well as the United States Mission at the state command headquarters in Osogbo.

    Habila was answering questions from the leader of the observers’ delegation, John Tomaszweski who asked what the police would do to some governors said to be in the state.

    He said: “I do not know if there are governors in the state. Maybe, they came to give supports to their members and friends but they must know that they are not to be found anywhere elections are going on.

    “They should also respect the restriction of movement because anyone caught breaking the rules will be dealt with no matter how highly placed.”

    On the fears about vote buying, Habila said the ban on the use of mobile phones as well as the deployment of six uniformed security agents per polling unit were meant to address that situation, adding that intelligence squad have also been deployed to various parts of the state.

    On the strength of security operatives deployed for the exercise, the DIG said there were 28,000 comprising the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Directorate of State Services (DSS) and the military.

    Also, a Police Mobile Force unit (PMF) comprising 63 operatives and 10 patrol vehicles has been deployed to each of the local government areas of the state.

    He denied allegations that too many security operatives were deployed to the state, noting that the deployment was lesser than what was obtained in Ekiti.

    Habila said: “Remember there was a lot of outcry, allegations that Ekiti was an army of occupation and police brought in a large number of people to intimidate and prevent people from voting. That was not true. Those who were in Ekiti saw the street and saw that just the needed security. There was no overflow of security.

    “For this election, we decided to deploy lesser than the number during Ekiti. One of the reasons for this decision was that Osun has been known to be peaceful. In the last two years, Osun has been one of the states with the lowest crime rate. Secondly, we ensured we deployed the minimally required because we do not want to waste human and material resources.

    “For this election, we have 28,000 security operatives. That is for the police and other security services. I belief there are sponsors who have written a script and are rehearsing it.

    “We will not give opportunity for anyone to do so. We will not occupy any place to intimidate or oppress anyone. We are as ready as ever to ensure that this election is peaceful.

    “We have learnt lessons from previous elections and so, we want to see on Saturday, a civil and helpful security. A security that will give an insight of a more improved security come 2019 general elections.

    “We have men on standby duty, patrol and we have posted some to national assets that people could vandalize if they are not pleased with results of the elections. We made preparations for five days before and five days after elections. “That is what we are doing. We are careful in ensuring we do not just protect the process but also protect vulnerable public facility in Osun State as a whole.  At the moment, there has been no request for boats in Osun State but the contiguous states like Ondo and Ibadan have standby boats.

    “Remember we also deployed helicopters for this election so, we can do ground to air communication. We will give our best to this election.”

    The DIG said electoral materials were received by the commander in charge of protection on Friday morning, adding that operatives deployed for their safety were already protecting them.

    “As I speak, electoral materials have been taken to registration area council and super registration area council. There, they will be pinned down and tomorrow morning, these materials will get to the various wards and polling units.

    Read Also: Osun polls: I have no anointed candidate – Aregbesola

    “A lot of the policemen are standing at the point where they will provide security to ballot box, INEC officials and others including observers. We are prepared. Our morale are high because the federal government provided our allowances.

    “The instruction was given to the Inspector-General of Police and he complied. We got our alerts a long time ago from our finance department. Other security agencies confirmed to me that they have paid their men. So, morale of security personnel are very high and we are ready to work and have our money in our pocket,” he said.

    Emphasizing that there would be restriction of movement, Habila said it would commence by 12am.

    “This election is for Osun people not Ondo or any neighboring state. You do not have business coming in. That is why we will lock down the state so that those who want to come in can let us know their reason.

    “I have visited various parts of the state to access the presence of policemen and the tempo. We have done threat analyses in the past and updated them on arrival for this election.

    “So far, the state has been peaceful. Pre-election activities including campaign and rallies went on peacefully. I expect Saturday’s election to be peaceful too.

    “That notwithstanding, we have very encompassing contingency plans. We know there are flash points and so, we brought in the tactical squad (Police Mobile Force), the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) department, the IGP Intelligence Unit, the Force Animal branch- Sniffer and Attack dogs.

    “We have all sections including other security agencies. We have Mobile Policemen on standby for visibility policing. They will continue to avoid the polling units but will patrol all flash points so that response to distress calls will be swift. So that there would not be incidence of harassment, molestation.

    “We want to create a very conducive atmosphere for people to come out and cast their votes. We intend to add quality and uphold the integrity of the election. This is about the last stand-alone election and we want to give it the best.

    “We want other countries especially African nations to learn from us. This election will be civil and we will perform to international standard. Accredited journalists will not be restricted from doing their jobs. All INEC has said is that voters will not be allowed to take their phones to voting points.

    They should drop it for a minute or two. We will support INEC to ensure that directive is complied with.

    “The Electoral Act 2011 clearly spelled out offences on election day. If you shout the slogan of a political party, you have committed an offence.

    “If you wear the dress of a party or aspirant, it is an offence. If you come in with a loud speak shouting the slogan of any party, it is an offence. If you canvass for vote or prevent anyone from voting, you have committed an offence.

    If you snatch an electoral material from officials, it is an offence.

    So, we will be looking out for offenders.”

    During their visit, the Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy, Abuja, David Young said he was satisfied with the steps taken by the police and Independent National  Electoral Commission  (INEC) to curb vote buying and other electoral malpractices that was of concern to them.

    He also noted the peace in Osun State since his arrival, adding that there was improvement in this year’s election compared to previous ones.

    Young, who was accompanied by Consul General John Bray and other senior officials of the mission, said the US sent a team of 50 observers for the election who are interested in a free, fair and credible process, insisting that they were not in the state to support any candidate

     

  • Osun 2018: IPAC calls for credible poll

    As the people of Osun State go into the state governorship election Friday, the Inter Party Advisor Council (IPAC) has called for credible and free poll.

    Speaking at a press briefing before the IPAC members, including representatives of all the 48 political parties participating in the election staged a sensitization rally in the state, IPAC National Secretary, Barr. Aye Dakpokpo, advised the political gladiators not to see the election as a do-or-die affair.

    Read Also:IPAC tasks INEC on Osun governorship election

    The IPAC scribe, who also advised the politicians to put the interest of the masses above their personal their own, said that IPAC was in Osun to sensitize the people of the state on the need to shun violence before, during and after the election.

    She said: “We are here in Osun to educate the populace on the need for free and fair election and you will agree with me that this is one of the strong pillars of democracy. We are focusing on no violence during the election and the need to minimize election malpractices.

    “So, it is important that political parties should not encourage violence during the election and that the reason for election is for people to elect a leader that will serve them and not to rule them.”

    She also urged the political parties and their candidates to accept the outcome of the election as long as it is accepted to be credible.

  • Osun 2018: NANS urges students to shun violence

    The National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS ), has urged students in Osun to shun violence during and after the Governorship election on Saturday.

    Mr Azeez Adeyemi, the National Public Relations Officer for the association, gave the advice in a statement in Abeokuta on Friday.

    Adeyemi stated that Nigerian students remained agents of positive and progressive change, adding that they would continue to defend the nation democracy.

    “It is important to note that Nigerian students remain the most astute, sensitive and organised body in the country.

    Read Also: Osun 2018: Security beef up in Osogbo

    “As such, the leadership of NANS implores Nigerian students in Osun eligible to vote to do so with the high level of modesty and comportment.

    “It is our collective responsibility to secure our votes, protect the integrity of our dear country and put our democracy on a first class standing.

    “NANS will not tolerate any attempt by any group of persons to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the election,” he said.

  • Osun: Confusion in SDP, ADP, ADC over ‘alliance’

    THERE was confusion yesterday among the supporters of three major parties participating in tomorrow’s Osun State governorship election, following the rumour that they had formed an alliance.

    Radio stations were broadcasting the denial of such an alliance by no fewer than three of the five prominent candidates.

    The candidates are Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Moshood Adeoti of the African Democratic Party (ADP) and Fatai Akinbade of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    At a briefing in Osogbo, the state capital, Omisore, who spoke for the three candidates, said Adeoti and Akinbade did not step down for him, adding that what they had was an alliance for a credible election.

    He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of intimidating would-be voters at rallies.

    The APC denied the allegation.

    Its spokesman Kunle Oyatomi described the “gang-up” of opposition parties as a “house of commotion”.

    Speaking on the telephone last night, Oyatomi said: “We in the APC do not see any threat to whatever the opposition or a coalition of them is doing.

    “We are bigger than all of them put together. We will win the election because we have a lot to show as achievements.

    “We defeated them in 2014 when the PDP in this state was formidable. Now they are split into pieces. They will lose. They are jittery and are pretenders.

    “They are people who lack vision and mission. That is why they have reduced the campaign to only payment of salaries.”

    Omisore said: “APC has been boasting that they will rig election. So, these three parties, in spite of the differences in their names and candidates, still believe that the election must be credible. That’s why we signed the protocol. It is incumbent on these other parties, being leading opposition parties in the state, to publicly ask the people of Osun State to be vigilant as they cast their votes to prevent malpractices. We just want sincerity, credibility and fairness at the poll.”

    Omisore said each of the three parties would run its election by itself, but that there was need to encourage voters across the state not to be intimidated in any way because they are committed to free and fair election tomorrow.

    But when asked to provide evidence of the alleged intimidation by the governing party, Omisore said the declarations made by the APC at its rallies were pure intimidation which could discourage the masses from coming out to cast their votes. “We watched it on Channels Television as they said those things. So, it is public knowledge, nothing that requires any documentary evidence,” he said.

    While denying withdrawing from the election, Adeoti, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Kayode Agbaje, said he had no discussion with any other candidate about standing down, affirming that he remained a candidate in the election.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Moshood Adeoti Campaign Organisation (MACO) has been drawn to a rumour currently gaining ground in Osun State that our principal and governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, has withdrawn his participation from the race in favour of Senator Iyiola Omisore, the candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

    “We wish to reiterate that at no time was our canadidate contacted for such and that the ADP and Alhaji Adeoti harbour no such plans.

    “We still stand resolutely behind our resolve to contest and by God’s grace win the election.”

    Akinbade debunked the insinuations that he had stepped down for Omisore.

    His Media Officer said: “Akinbade is in the race for good. The people of Osun are itching to have him as their next governor. This they hope to translate come Saturday, September 22, through their worthy votes.”

    According to Akinbade, the rumour is malicious and insulting to the ADC political family.

    “Our main focus is the execution of the Sept. 22, 2018 election to success. The people of Osun State are rooting for the victory of Alhaji Fatai Akinbade and this will be proved by their massive votes on Saturday. You are requested to remain resolute and cast your votes for the ADC on Saturday.”

    The statement condemned what it described as “dirty” and “cheap” politics embarked upon by those”afraid of their own political shadow.”

     

  • Continuity or change in Osun?

    At some point in the life of a human being, a momentous question must be answered decisively: Should I continue in the direction I face, or should I change course? Burdened with the weight of this question, rational nature kicks in, weighing the pros and cons of each prospective choice vis-a-vis a desired goal, and choosing accordingly.

    Rational choice-making entails considering the pleasure and pain that we have experienced in our current station. But we refrain from putting disproportionate weight on momentary pain provided there is a reasonable chance that the pain is truly fleeting, and there is a high probability of it leading to a brighter future commensurate with our desired end. We don’t abandon regular dental checkups simply because of the pain experienced visiting a dentist.

    A nation or a state is the sum of the individuals that make it up, and their challenges and hopes are its challenges and hopes. Furthermore, at specific moments, a state or nation must contemplate the question: should we continue in the same direction or change course?

    For a nation or a state, this question comes up in two ways. First, elected leaders may, in collaboration with the people, ask and answer the question how to proceed with governance. Their answer serves as their road map for the period of their service. If they reflect well before opting for the course, they are likely to succeed. Of course, it is not always smooth-sailing. But true leaders relentlessly set their eyes on the prize and, more importantly, inspire the people to buy into the plan and have confidence in the goal.

    Second. In a democratic republic, leadership is not for life and periodic elections are held to choose new leaders. Even where there is no term-limit for a leader to serve, democracy requires that he or she presents himself or herself for new mandates on a regular basis. And in case of term-limit, when an incumbent retires from the position and the people must choose a new leader, the question is relevant: should we choose continuity with current course or should we change course?

    It is this question that the great State of Osun is poised to answer tomorrow. After eight years of Comrade Aregbesola and the APC government, electorates are eagerly pondering whether it is rational for them to vote for continuity or for change. It is a reasonable question that deserves serious contemplation.

    Eight years ago, voters put their faith in the programme of action presented by Aregbesola. It was the programme of ACN with its faith in human development as the pillar of progress. Its centerpiece was quality education, infrastructural development, and social welfare. The first four years of Aregbesola saw Osun as the most developed in any state its size and resource endowment. Every indices of development favored the Aregbesola model. But for the downturn in economic fortunes due to the Great Recession of the last five years, Osun would now be in the league of most developed states anywhere.

    Therefore, in terms of a mindset that puts people’s welfare first and is determined to make government work for the people, Aregbesola has no parallel. His philosophy of governance is close to that of the sage and to that of his mentor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Unfortunately, Aregbesola does not have the resources of Lagos in Osun State.

    Here then is the question: Does Osun continue with the philosophy of governance that puts people first and makes human development the driver of public policy, or does the state change course? Reasonable people will choose continuity.

    With the choice of continuity, then, another question follows: out of the candidates presented to voters in this election, who is best suited to continue this philosophy of governance and improve upon it? We can approach this question by focusing on what might be termed the three Ps: party, person, and process.

    Three months ago, on July 27, I made a reference to Chief Awolowo’s observation on the role of the political party in our Constitution. As the sage puts it, the “Registered Political Party is the sole source from which candidates for election and elected members of the Legislature and Executive derive their lifeblood for acceptability, public status and legitimacy.”

    I also referenced a pertinent definition of political party provided by ACE Electoral Knowledge Network: “an organized group of people who exercise their legal right to identify with a set of similar political aims and opinions and one that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to office.”

    These two observations on the definition and significance of political party should guide our approach to discerning the rational choice for the people of Osun in this election. From Aregbesola’s focus on education, infrastructure, and social welfare, and his achievements in these areas, we see a synergy between his focus and the “set of political aims and opinions” that his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) seeks to pursue for the people.

    As I observe above, Aregbesola’s performance has been exemplary, whatever metrics we adopt. The social welfare programme that APC inherits from its legacy parties, especially ACN, are in the tradition of progressivism that transformed the Southwest in the first and second republics. Since the people then benefited immensely from that focus, continuity is in the best interest of Osun people.

    The other major parties in this contest include the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Though the latter also claims to draw from the fountain of the old West, its limitation is that, in its present iteration, it has not had an opportunity to showcase its fidelity to that source. It hasn’t governed a state or local government.

    On its part, PDP lays no claim to a commitment to the people, and, understandably, the experience of Nigerians with the party is not one they want to repeat. PDP’s philosophy of governance is “chopping life”, and its source of inspiration goes back to NNDP via NPN. Recall that a late leader of the party, also from Osun State, once exposed this philosophy in his complaint that the late Chief Bola Ige was not appreciative of PDP’s invitation to him to “come and chop.”

    Now to the persons. Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola is the APC candidate. A self-made man, he has demonstrated his loyalty to his party as a member and as the Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola. In this position, he has been instrumental to the success achieved by the administration in the last eight years. If continuity of his party’s governing philosophy is favored, there is no better candidate to pursue it with vigor. Most importantly, Oyetola is a veritable proponent of the Omoluabi ethos that Osun state has espoused in the last eight years. Now, more than ever, our people need the entrenchment of this value.

    Compare Oyetola with the candidates of the two other major parties and the difference is clear. Shifting allegiances in search of self-interest, as they have demonstrated, is not a mark of Omoluabi. Neither does it show a deep-seated commitment to a desirable philosophy of governance. What motivates them besides their self-interest? Needless to add, being abusive to elders and being implicated in the worst of crimes against humanity, due to personal moral lapse, is a disqualifying factor.

    Finally, by process, I mean how a party nominates its candidate. By involving the electorate in a direct primary, APC has demonstrated its commitment to true democracy and that should count for something. The members of the party are treated with respect as stakeholders and counted upon to use their judgment in selecting its candidate. They are therefore strongly motivated in this general election to elect their party’s candidate, unlike members of other parties who were passed over in favor of special delegates to nominate a candidate.

    In view of the above, I trust that the good residents of Osun State will go out this Saturday, fully informed about what is at stake in this election, which pits continuity against change and will choose continuity over an uncertain change. They will elect Gboyega Oyetola as their governor.

     

  • Osun 2018: Omisore, Adeoti, Akinbade sign protocol on credible election

    Three of the five leading candidates in the Osun State governorship election on Thursday revealed that they have signed a protocol to ensure that Saturday’s election is credible.
    The candidates – Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Moshood Adeoti of the African Democratic Party (ADP) and Fatai Akinbade of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) disclosed this while briefing reporters in Osogbo, the state capital.
    Omisore briefed the media on behalf of the three.
    According to Omisore, Adeoti and Akinbade did not stand down for him in the election.
    He said the three of them, having watched and noticed how the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has been allegedly intimidating voters at their rallies in recent days, decided to sign a gentleman agreement for the credibility of the election.
    “APC has been boasting that they will rig election. So, these three parties, In spite of the differences in their names and candidates, still believe that the election must be credible. That’s why we signed the protocol. It is incumbent on these other parties, being leading opposition parties in the state, to publicly ask the people of Osun State to be vigilant as they cast their votes to prevent malpractices… We just want sincerity, credibility and fairness at the poll.” He said.
    Omisore said each of the three parties would run its election by itself, but that there was need to encourage voters across the state not to be intimidated in any way because they are committed to free and fair election tomorrow.
    He expressed confidence that the APC would be defeated in the election having allegedly failed the people of Osun State in the last eight years.
    But when asked to provide evidence of the alleged intimidation by the governing party, Omisore said the declarations made by the APC at its rallies were pure intimidations which could discourage the masses of Osun State from coming out to cast their votes. “We watched it on Channels Television as they said those things. So, it is public knowledge, nothing that requires any documentary evidence.” The former senator said.
    While denying withdrawing from the election, Adeoti, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Kayode Agbaje, said he had no discussion with any other candidate about standing down, affirming that he remained a candidate in the election.
    The statement read in part: “The attention of the Moshood Adeoti Campaign Organization (MACO) has been drawn to a rumour currently gaining ground in Osun State that our principal and governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti has withdrawn his participation from the race in favour of Senator Iyiola Omisore, the candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) .
    “We wish to reiterate that at no time was our canadidate contacted for such and that the ADP and Alhaji Adeoti habour no such plans.
    We still stand resolutely behind our resolve to contest and by God’s grace win the election.
    Osun, as the only state we can call our own, needs a candidate with the experience and grassroots connection  like Alhaji Adeoti to take it out of its current situation.
    “We therefore wish to assure our teeming supporters across all party lines and ADP members specifically, to disregard such rumour and stay focused on our mission to win the election.”

  • Osun Election: FRSC deploys 1,500 personnel, 60 vehicles

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Thursday said it had deployed 1,500 personnel, including 60 vehicles to man strategic routes during the election in Osun State.
    This it said was part of additional efforts put in place to ensure compliance with restriction of vehicular movement during the Sept. 22 gubernatorial elections in the state.
    A statement by Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, quoted the Corps Marshal FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi as saying that all measures were being put in place to achieve a hitch free vehicular movement.
    He called on road users, especially those plying the identified routes to note that while Ibadan – Akure express way will be opened for free vehicular movement, vehicles will not be allowed to drive off the highway into Osun state as all connecting roads will be blocked.
    “In the same vein, all roads leading to the state through Iwo, Ila, Orangun, Erin-Ile and others will be temporarily closed from 7a.m to 4p.m on the election day,” he said.
    Oyeyemi also directed the deployement of personnel to mount surveillance, ensure strict compliance to established guidelines, provide intelligence, collaborate with sister agencies and display high level of professionalism in ensuring compliance to the restriction order.
    He advised road users to comply with this partial restriction order, exercise patience and cooperate with law enforcement agents to ensure a peaceful conduct of the elections.
    Kazeem further assured that FRSC was committed to ensuring a safe motoring environment for all road users throughout the exercise.
    He advised the Public to call the FRSC emergency numbers: 122 (Toll Free), 0700-2255-3772 or 0700-CALL-FRSC in case of any emergency, crash or obstruction.