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Tag: Osun 2018

  • Osun Decides: Massive turnout in Ife

    There is a massive turnout of voters in Ile-Ife, especially in Ife East and Ife Central Local Government Areas where our reporter monitored.

    As early as 7.30am, excited voters had gathered at the premises of the family home of Dr Iyiola Omisore, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in front of which Unit 3 in Okerewe Ward III is located.

    Omisore, however, will vote in another unit.

    Read Also: Victory is assured, says Adeleke

    At the Oranmiyan Tower Complex in Ife Central, there are 12 Polling Units under Ward 10, Akarabala.

    Voters were already on queue ready for accreditation and voting.

  • 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 2018: Why Oyetola fits the bill

    One of the primary functions of party leaders in a democracy is to ensure the emergence of candidates for political positions, who would uphold party principles, respect its constitution, and effectively implement its agenda. The leaders of all political parties which fielded candidates for the Osun governorship election to be held on Saturday, September 22, engaged in various manoeuvres in performing this essential function. Some arranged elaborate party primaries, while others endorsed so-called consensus candidates. In yet other cases, candidates were swapped in the last minute to accommodate party switchers.

    Gboyega Oyetola emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress after an elaborate direct (open) primary. Ìlérí Olúwa (God’s promise) is the inspirational slogan of his governorship campaign. How he came about the slogan is a story for another day; let it suffice that he believes strongly in its divine inspiration.

    Oyetola is one of 48 or so candidates for the Osun governorship race. However, it is generally believed that there are only five top contenders, namely, Oyetola (APC); Demola Adeleke (Peoples Democratic Party); Iyiola Omisore (Social Democratic Party); Moshood Adeoti (Action Democratic Party); and Fatai Akinbade (African Democratic Congress). As the race moves nearer and nearer to the finish line, close observers would argue that it is between the candidates of APC and PDP, because of the profiles of the two political parties and their candidates.

    To be sure, each candidate has his strengths and weaknesses; but Oyetola is far ahead of the field in several respects. First, he has the most relevant qualifications and experience to be the governor of Osun State at this time in the state’s history. Of the top five candidates, he is the only one with university credentials and broad experiences in financial management as well as business and public administration, having attained his Bachelor’s and Masters degrees in these fields from the University of Lagos.

    These are extremely relevant qualifications, given the financial challenges facing the state. Armed with these qualifications, he had served in top management positions in various insurance companies before establishing his own company, which he successfully managed with handsome returns until he was appointed the Chief of Staff to the outgoing governor, Rauf Aregbesola. It was in this position that he brought his financial expertise to bear on steering the state through these austere times.

    He was involved in negotiating the payment of modulated salaries by which workers on levels 1-7 (a whopping 72 per cent of the workforce) got full salaries, while workers on levels 8-11 (20 per cent of the workforce) were paid 75 per cent of their salaries. The top echelon of workers on level 12 upwards, which constitutes only eight per cent of the workforce, got 50 per cent for their salaries. Oyetola was also involved in the arrangements for the recent payment of full salaries and arrears as well as pension for all affected workers. As he indicated on Sunday, September 16, during the governorship debate, he is committed to the continued payment of full salaries, if elected.

    Second, Oyetola’s eight-year service as the Chief of Staff puts him in the best position to sustain the developmental strides of the government. In particular, his involvement in implementing the government’s Six-Point Integral Action Plan puts him in good stead to sustain it. Today, the plan, which is ongoing across various sectors, includes massive development of township roads, including the ring road around Osogbo, and the Rural Access and Mobility Project, partly funded by the World Bank and the French Development Agency.

    Particularly notable in the plan is the focus on improving the school’s educational attainments, including the restructuring and reclassification of primary and secondary schools in order to facilitate the free feeding of vulnerable children in the elementary grades, while preserving the country’s 6-3-3-4 system of education; the provision of free meals and free school uniforms; the development of centres of excellence in the primary and secondary education system through the construction of mega schools, while also renovating and preserving existing school buildings where necessary; and capacity building workshops for teachers, especially in English Language and Mathematics.

    Other aspects of the plan include a focus on agriculture; improved healthcare facilities and delivery; social welfare for the vulnerable elderly; the provision of recreational facilities, such as Mandela Park in Osogbo; and a vigorous drive to improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue.

    The sustainability of these projects is crucial to the development of Osun State, which is presently considered as (a) one of the fastest growing state economies in the country and (b) the best state in the provision of social welfare programmes.

    Oyetola is the only candidate who campaigned on consolidating and sustaining this plan, while others have vowed to disrupt it, beginning with verbal disruption through misrepresentation and outright falsehoods. To be sure, there are holes in the plan, which need to be filled, just as there are necessary modifications in the light of current financial realities. Oyetola acknowledges these gaps and plans to take appropriate measures to fill them.

    Third, Oyetola is a solid, reliable, and loyal individual, endowed with enviable temperament and noble mien. He confronts difficult situations with a muted smile and then goes on to do the right thing. He certainly is more of a doer than a talker. His loyalty to causes has been demonstrated times without number. For example, he is the only one among the top five contenders who has never switched political parties. Rather, he has consistently aligned with the progressive trajectory of Alliance for Democracy, Action Congress, Action Congress of Nigeria, and now APC. He was never caught or even suspected of wavering or aligning with the opposition or working against the party’s interest. No wonder he earned the accolades of his colleagues and his boss as the most loyal party man, who stood by party principles and agenda, where others wavered.

    Oyetola might not have displayed all of these qualities during the governorship debate last Sunday. In my own assessment, there was no flyer in that debate, perhaps due to the pressure of the moment. Nevertheless, Oyetola carried the day in demeanour, poise, and truthfulness. As he has stood firmly with his party and the government he faithfully served, he stood his ground amiably during the debate. He was sincere enough to avoid providing false information, when pressed for figures he did not have at his fingertips, unlike Omisore who hardly made a truthful statement throughout the debate.

    It is for the above reasons and more that I follow the tradition of civilized journalism in endorsing Oyetola as the next governor of Osun State.

     

    • Professor Akinnaso lives in and writes from Akure.

  • Osun 2018: Ganduje, Alaafin clamour for continuity

    Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje, and a foremost Yoruba traditional ruler, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, have called on the good people of Osun to support continuity of good governance by electing the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 22, gubernatorial election, Mr Gboyega Oyetola.

    The duo commended what they described as monumental, the achievements recorded by the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in almost eight years, saying his government has done very well in all aspects of the economy.

    They admonished the people of Osun not to allow themselves to be induced by unscrupulous politicians who didn’t have the wherewithal to build on Aregbesola’s good legacies.

    The two prominent Nigerians made the statement on Monday during a courtesy visit to Aregbesola at Government House, Osogbo.

    Ganduje said the Aregbesola administration has placed Osun on the path of development in all sectors of governance as reflected in the infrastructural facilities put in place across the nooks and crannies of the state.

    The Kano Governor, who doubles as the Chairman National Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress for Osun 2018 Governorship Election, noted that it is imperative for the people of Osun to support the continuity agenda, which he described as the only way to socioeconomic advancement, progress and prosperity.

    Ganduje, who said his visit to Osun was to ensure free, fair, credible, acceptable and transparent governorship election, noted that it is high time Osun residents supported Aregbesola by voting for APC.

    According to him, continuity is the bedrock of socioeconomic development in any society, hence the need for all to support the good works, which Aregbesola’s administration had brought to Osun by voting the APC candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

    “As a matter of fact, the only way to pay Aregbesola back for the good works that his administration has done is to vote for continuity so that we can sustain Osun on the path of development.

    “We have seen the infrastructural facilities that his administration has put in place; the good roads, schools among others. These are legacies that must be sustained and prevented from being destroyed

    “If we truly love Aregbesola and we believe in his good works, then no one must hesitate to vote for continuity as this gesture will place Osun on enviable height.

    “As we strife to ensure free, fair, credible and transparent governorship election, it is also important to let our people know that there is need for them to support the continuity agenda of this administration”, Ganduje said.

    Also, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi said Aregbesola has built a state worthy of emulation by any serious government in Nigeria.

    Oba Adeyemi canvassed for continuity of the good works of Aregbesola’s administration as the state couldn’t afford to swing backward again.

    He applauded the governor for the good works his administration has done in the past eight years, appealing to Osun people to vote for APC in the interest of genuine development and transformation.

    Alaafin said APC governments in Nigeria have proved their competence in all strata of the economy as no opposition party had faulted the good works of very many of them, particularly in the southwestern Nigeria.

    He described APC government as the best government so far in the history of the state, saying it is time for the people of Osun to elect continuity.

    He charged traditional rulers to be wary of power-hungry politicians, who have nothing tangible to offer, warning them to place development above their personal interest.

    In his words, ” It is only an enemy of progress that will not appreciate the performance of Aregbesola’s administration in spite of the challenges posed by the nation’s economy which had adversely affected the states of the federation.

    “I am happy that Aregbesola has been practising what he preaches, he has not disappointed us, he has not disappointed his people and he has not disappointed Nigerians.

    Read Also: 2019: APC chieftain, Dahiru defects to Sokoto PDP

    “I am happy to identify with Aregbesola not only because he is a governor, but because he has done very well in all aspects of life; he has improved on the economy of Osun and he has raised the bar of governance, despite the present economic reality.

    “I commend him, I commend his government for what he has been able to achieve so far, particularly on his administrative sagacity and prudence in the face of daunting challenges.

    In his remarks, the Governor of Osun Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola expressed profound gratitude to Ganduje and Alaafin, saying he will utilize the remaining days to the expiration of his administration to build more on his giant strides.

    He expressed confidence in the ability of his party, the All Progressives Congress, at winning the gubernatorial election, saying “we have God and the good people of Osun behind us”.

  • Osun 2018: Who will succeed Aregbesola?

    All is set for this weekend’s governorship election in Osun State. As the participating political parties and candidates put finishing touches to their strategies, Adesoji Adeniyi, reports on the factors that will come at play and the chances of the candidates

    ALTHOUGH no fewer than twelve political parties are fielding candidates for the September 22 Osun governorship election it seems only five of them, the ruling All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Action Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, are prominently positioned to make appreciable impact. Other participating political parties, which are also visible, include the Alliance for Democracy, the Accord Party, the Labour Party, among others.

    Less than a week to the election, the tempo of campaign activities has reached a feverish peak. Most active political parties and their standard bearers are moving from one community to another to rally support of the prospective voters for their aspirations. Also, many groups, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, the civil society organisations and media houses are sensitising the people of the state about the poll.

    Security agencies are also firming up their operations and educating their men and officers to be deployed for the exercise on how to carry out their duties on the day of election.

    The candidates of the political parties for the election and their supporters also have continued to engage the people through door to door campaign and political rallies to sell their manifestos and programmes. But more than often, their campaigns focus largely on accusations and allegations against one another while many of them hardly discuss their programmes and how they will tackle challenges facing the state when they become the governor.

    Also, defections from one political platform to another have continued unabated. We gathered that most of chieftains move from one party to the other mainly because of their inability to realise their ambition on a particular platform.

    However, issues about some of the candidates and their parties that are frequently discussed in groups in all parts of the state ahead of the election include certificate scandal, zoning of the governorship seat to Osun West Senatorial District, welfare of the public workers and pensioners, debt profile of the state and Lagos agenda. These issues have been highly politicised.

    As the election date draws closer, both the candidates and their supporters are engrossed with issues they believe will determine where the pendulum may eventually swing to and what each of the candidates have going for him. Our investigation during the week shows that many factors and happenings will combine to determine the candidate that will succeed Governor Rauf Aregbesola, whose second term in office is gradually coming to an end.

    APC’s Oyetola

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, had been the Chief of Staff to the incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola for almost eight years until about three weeks ago when he resigned the appointment to be able to face his campaigns across the state. His candidature is programmed to continue the tempo of socio-economic development of the state started by the Rauf Aregbesola administration and to also break new grounds. For over 30 years, he served as a technocrat in the competitive private sector, and has added eight years in the public office to that experience. Analysts say the combination of these two critical areas of experience positions him well for the exalted position as the Executive Governor of Osun State.

    That probably informed his regular statement that he would hit the ground running without anyone telling him what to do or where to start the job from.

    He is also said to be calm and to exhibit control over serious challenges. It is also believed that he is going to leverage on his exposure that travels beyond the shores of the state and Nigeria would afford him. But being a major part of the Rauf Aregbesola government, his opponents are saying that the issue of salary and pension arrears would always stare him in the face and may affect his chances. However, recent serious effort by the incumbent administration to pay the backlog of salaries and pensions with the release of the last Paris Club Fund may douse the tension occasioned by this development. Though the APC made the workers see reasons for a fashioned modulated salaries, which he said was caused by the serious economic challenge facing the nation and which was not peculiar to Osun alone, it is feared that some public servants may still habour ill feelings because for the harsh effect of the economic reality on their wellbeing. It therefore seems that the major concern of the APC candidate is the issue of debt profile of the state, which the opposition has capitalised upon and has described as “reckless.” But the APC insists there is justification for the several loans secured by the Aregbesola government because of rapid and even infrastructural development in massive road construction and other sectors, including education, health, among others.

    Also, the APC said the loans had helped the state to beat high cost of construction if the state were to wait till it would have enough savings to do the projects.

    Another major issue in the state politics today is zoning. Some people from Osun West Senatorial District are clamouring for zoning to the West. But some informed opinion leaders are saying that what is needed is the “Best” not the “West.” They said in democracy, the people should be allowed to decide where the next governor will come from.

    Another important factor is the so-called Lagos agenda. But the APC candidate to which this allegation is primarily directed at maintains that it could not be denied that he was born in Iragbiji, the headquarters of Boripe Local Government and raised and schooled in Osogbo, the state capital from elementary to secondary school before proceeding to the University of Lagos to read Insurance. He said it is even an added advantage for the state to have its successful indigenes in various sectors of the economy since their exposure, expertise, accomplishment will ultimately impact on the state, if such an indigene has opportunity to govern. This is even more so, if the said indigene has always been in regular contact with the grassroots and has for many years made investments in the state. He described the insinuation of a Lagos agenda as political “being promoted by very few with selfish and personal interest.”

    Given his personal achievement, popularity, appeal to all and the strength of his political party in the state, APC’s Oyetola is evidently the leading candidate in the governorship race. More than any other, he seems prepared to step into the big shoes of the outgoing Governor Aregbesola.

    Verdict: Very Strong

     

    ADP’s Adeoti

    Action Democratic Party (ADP) governorship candidate, Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, is a thorough bred and a grassroots politician. He had held several grassroots political positions in the past, including the Chairman of Iwo Local Government, Chairman of the defunct Action Congress that later transformed to Action Congress of Nigeria, on which platform, Rauf Aregbesola, came into power in November 27, 2010, following the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State which sacked the Peoples Democratic Party-led Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s administration.

    He was the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Aregbesola’s government for almost eight years before he resigned and defected to the ADP because he said the APC primary was “manipulated in favour” of another aspirant. He is a major advocate of Osun West agenda, saying the zone had been short-changed for far too long. But his political opponents described him as pursuing a selfish interest rather than supporting the principle adopted by the party; which is that the contest should be open to all the zones.

    It is however feared that to garner enough votes from his base, Osun West, may remain a Herculean task for him since he has other major contenders from his home base. His second major challenge may be how to convince the other two zones to support his aspiration. If we add these to the level of acceptability and the limited spread of his party, compared to that of the other major candidates, his chances may only be described as dicey. As an individual however, he is experienced and popular enough not to be dismissed with a wave of the hand. His party is not as strong however.

    Verdict: One to watch.

     

    SDP’s Omisore

    The Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s governorship candidate, Sen. Christopher Iyiola Omisore is an engineer and PhD holder. He was deputy to former governor of Osun State, Abdul-Kareem Adebisi Akande, between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy. He was impeached towards the tail end of the Akande administration but staged his comeback to the political space when he was elected the senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, otherwise known as Ife/Ijesa zone, from 2003 to 2011.

    In the Senate, he was Chairman, Appropriation Committee. In 2011, he attempted to return to the Senate the third time but lost to Babajide Omoworare of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria. Omisore in 2014 had a strong governorship contest but lost to the incumbent governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who then was seeking a second term in office. He defected from the PDP to the SDP to pursue his ambition when the former denied him the ticket. His entry into the SDP was dramatic and controversial but he maneuvered to secure the party’s governorship ticket.

    Omisore is from Osun East, where the incumbent governor, Aregbesola, comes from. This factor, according to his political opponents, may work against his victory because his choice of candidate for the people would make the zone spend about 12 to 16 years unbroken in power. This is not palatable to those agitating for zoning of the governorship to Osun West believed not to have had equal representation on the exalted position. Also, it is believed that the PDP family, from where he had defected may split his votes. But he is very strong in Ife zone of the Osun East.

    Verdict: Limited chances

     

    ADP’s Akinbade

    ADP’s governorship candidate, Fatai Akinade Akinbade, an engineer, is from Osun West Senatorial District. He was former Secretary to the State Government under Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s administration for over seven years.  He was also the Chairman of the PDP that led the Oyinlola government into power in 2003. During the military rule, he was Commissioner for Works under three military administrators; from Anthony Udofia, Anthony Obi and Theophilus Bamigboye. He defected from the PDP to Labour Party to actualise his governorship ambition in 2014 and returned to the party about three months ago only to defect again to his present party, ADC, where he got the flag bearer.

    He is an experienced grassroots politician but it is feared that his votes may be split because he is from Osun West, where Adeoti, another major governorship aspirant, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the running mate to the APC candidate, Gboyega Alabi, and other political heavy weights also come from.

    Verdict: Limited chances

     

    PDP’s Adeleke

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke is very new in Osun State’s politics except for his late elder brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, on whose structure he is using. After late Adeleke’s death, he came on the political scene, using his family goodwill and sympathy for the tragic nature of his brother’s death to win Osun West Senatorial bye election. Iwo axis of the West was said to have conceded the senatorial seat to Ede, believing that when it is time for 2018 governorship seat, Ede will do same for Iwo. But the story changed and Iwo may not support Ede for the forthcoming poll as no fewer than three candidates are from that zone for the seat.

    Also, a certificate scandal involving him has continued to hunt Adeleke though the court had given him the go ahead for the election when it ruled in his favor over the matter. His critics however alleged that he had not done much to prove to the public that he had the credentials to rule Osun. The bickering among the PDP members over the result of the party primary, where Adeleke emerged with very narrow margin, is a factor. It is believed that Ogunbiyi was robbed; though the issue had been laid to rest only about a week ago some analysts said this may affect PDP’s chances.

    Another recent blow to Adeleke’s chance was the defection of his kinsman, the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Adejare Bello, to the APC. Bello came to the APC with hundreds of his supporters that should be working for the victory of Adeleke.

    Verdict: Fairly strong

     

    Who the cap fits…

    Taking all the issues and developments into consideration, it seems the struggle for power in Osun today is between the APC and the opposition parties. Analysts say that the opposition members need to come together to defeat the APC.

    Some observers contend that whichever party that will eventually win may not have a landslide victory but may only have a very narrow margin. Every candidate is counting on his homestead and exercises the hope of getting support from other parts of the state, particularly places like Osogbo and others with a huge voting strength. The game therefore remains dicey.

  • Osun 2018: APC will emerge victorious – Ajimobi

    Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has expressed confidence that the APC candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, will emerge victorious in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.

    He expressed the opinion in Ibadan on Wednesday while receiving Danjuma Ibrahim, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone II in his office.
    .
    The governorship election in Osun State will hold on Sept. 22.

    Ajimobi said that Oyetola would win the election, judging by the exemplary performance of the incumbent administration under Gov. Rauf Aregbesola.

    “We are confident that the APC will win the Sept. 22 election because of the exemplary performance of the incumbent administration in Osun State. One should have no doubt that the APC will retain Osun State,” he said.

    The governor, who described Ibrahim as an intelligent officer, expressed confidence that the leadership of the police in the zone was well grounded and competent to ensure a peaceful election.

    He assured the police authority of the state government’s readiness to assist the zone in ensuring a successful governorship election in Osun State.

    “AIG Danjuma Ibrahim is one of the most intelligent officers I have ever met and I can easily predict that he will get to the peak of his career soon.

    “It is very apparent, though, that APC will win easily because ours is the only party that is on ground and accepted by the people.

    “We are quite sure that the coming Osun election is going to be free and fair, and we shall provide necessary support towards this,” he said.

    Earlier, Ibrahim commended the governor for restoring peace and security to the state through the combined efforts of security agencies, which he said had spurred socio-economic growth.

    He appealed to the governor to extend the assistance to the police command by  refurbishing operational vehicles, provision of Armoured Personnel Carriers and other logistic supports to the zonal command.

    “You already know that policing is not easy, especially when you consider the logistics that must be put in place to achieve success. The zonal command needs operational vehicles to assist our operation.

    “On the coming Osun State governorship elections, we can assure you that we have more than enough personnel ready for the assignment.

    “We will do everything humanly possible to ward off intruders that might want to sneak in and wreck havoc on the election day. We know Osun State to be peaceful, but we do not want to leave anything to chance.

    “So we are soliciting your support to also help in spreading the gospel of peace to the people in Oyo State and to caution anti-democratic elements against coming to Osun State to foment trouble during the election,” he said.

  • Osun 2018: Oyetola is a peace icon, says Tuface

    A hip pop star, Innocent Idibia, popilarly called Tuface, has described the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the September 22 Osun governorship election, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, as a peace icon. Tuface, who is the representative of the National Democratic Institute, an international NGO, partners of the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UKAID,) spoke with newsmen after the completion of his tour of Osun State alongside his ‘Vote not fight’ initiative international partners in Osun State to advocate for peace and violence free election.

    A statement by the Gboyega Oyetola Campaign Organisation spokesperson, Mrs. Dayo Fasola, quoted Tuface as saying: “Having traversed the State of Osun and met with major stakeholders ahead of the September 22nd governorship elections, the rest of my team and I can boldly say Mr Gboyega Oyetola is a peace Icon indeed. We had heard a lot and researched the personalities involved in this process ahead of our visit to Osun and I am glad to say Mr Gboyega Oyetola exceeded all expectations. The programmes his campaign organisation has in place to engage the youths productively and measures to discourage thuggery and hooliganism are highly encouraging.”

     

  • Osun 2018: INEC presents voters’ register to political parties

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday presented soft copies of voters’ register for the September 22 governorship election in Osun State to the 38 political parties participating in the poll.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC),   Mr Olusegun Agbaje, presented the register to representatives of the parties at the INEC office in Osogbo, the state capital.

    The REC said some parties had approached him to collect the register individually, but he insisted that the copies must be distributed to all the parties at the same time.

    He noted that the presentation of the register was in line with INEC’s guidelines.

    Agbaje urged the parties to call the commission’s attention to any wrong they discover in the document.

    The REC also assured the parties of INEC’s neutrality, advising them to promptly report any officer of the commission found culpable of wrong doing, including himself, to the national headquarters of the electoral body.

    Agbaje gave the parties the details of the efforts INEC had made in compiling the register to ensure a successful election in Osun State.

    The REC urged representatives of the political parties to inform INEC about the importance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) during the election.

  • Osun 2018: INEC presents voters’ register to political parties

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday presented soft copies of voters’ register for the September 22 governorship election in Osun State to the 38 political parties participating in the poll.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC),   Mr Olusegun Agbaje, presented the register to representatives of the parties at the INEC office in Osogbo, the state capital.

    The REC said some parties had approached him to collect the register individually, but he insisted that the copies must be distributed to all the parties at the same time.

    He noted that the presentation of the register was in line with INEC’s guidelines.

    Agbaje urged the parties to call the commission’s attention to any wrong they discover in the document.

    The REC also assured the parties of INEC’s neutrality, advising them to promptly report any officer of the commission found culpable of wrong doing, including himself, to the national headquarters of the electoral body.

    Agbaje gave the parties the details of the efforts INEC had made in compiling the register to ensure a successful election in Osun State.

    The REC urged representatives of the political parties to inform INEC about the importance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) during the election.

    He added: “As we speak, majority of non-sensitive materials, which would be used for the conduct of the election, have been received from INEC headquarters in Abuja and distributed to INEC offices across the state.

    “Furthermore, 1,152,751 PVCs have been collected by their owners, out of 1,668,524 received in the state, leaving a balance of 515,773 as at August 17.

    “It is important for you to help us to inform the people on the need to collect their PVCs during your campaigns and rallies, because without the PVC, nobody would be allowed to vote.”

    INEC National Commissioner in charge of Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states, Mr Adedeji Shoyebi, said the presentation was to enable the parties verify the voters and fish out underage persons and foreigners in the list.

    The INEC commissioner said it was sad that over 500,000 PVCs had not been collected out of the over 1.6 million produced for registered voters in the state.

    He added that about one-third of voters in Osun State had not collected their PVCs and might not vote during the September election.

    Shoyebi warned that the commission would not tolerate vote-buying and violence during exercise.

    The national commissioner warned that anyone caught perpetrating violence or inducing voters with money would face the full wrath of the law.

    He urged the political parties to advise the eligible voters who had not collected their PVCs to do so.

    Shoyebi also advised them to sensitise their members, especially youths, to eschew violence during the election.

     

  • Osun 2018: Lasun Yussuff to work for APC’s victory

    House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Lasun Yussuff has promised to work for the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 22 Osun election.

    He debunked the rumour that he was planning to leave the party.

    Addressing reporters at his campaign office in Osogbo at the weekend, Yussuff said: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m still in APC and I’m not planning to leave the party. The APC is progressive.”

    The deputy Speaker, who promised to support the party to win the election, added: “Not minding what had happened during our party’s primary, we are going to work for APC’s victory.”

    Expressing concern about alleged alienation of some party members, Yussuff said: “We are in the position to support the APC and not about the candidate. I thank all my supporters who stood firm, despite the persecution during and after the primary. We would do our best to ensure that the APC wins the forthcoming election in this state.

    “Nigerians should be aware that a lot of party chieftains are being alienated today. But we hope that party members will put what happened in the primary behind them and work for the victory of the party.”