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Tag: Osun2018

  • Osun Rerun: Stop issuing threats, go to court – APC tells PDP

    The APC Campaign Council for the Osun governorship election has advised the PDP to stop issuing threats and take full advantage of the democratic process if it has any grouse with Thursday’s supplementary election result.

    In a statement issued in Osogbo, the Chairman of the Council’s Media Committee, Alhaji Lai Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the supplementary election .

    Mohammed who is also the Minister of Information and Culture said with the results, the people had emphatically pitched their tent with the ruling party.

    ”When the PDP led in the main election, which was declared inconclusive, we did not threaten fire and brimstone, neither did we drag the international community into it.

    “We simply went along with the prescribed process. We urge the PDP to emulate this,” he said.

    The chairman congratulated the Governor-elect, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the outgoing Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the entire APC family for the “well deserved but hard-earned victory”.

    He, also, commended INEC and the security agencies “for a largely peaceful and orderly election, as attested to by local and international observers”

    He called on INEC and the security agencies to ensure that the “PDP thugs, fake observers and vote buyers” who were arrested during the rerun were all brought to justice expeditiously.

    Read Also: Osun: Oyetola will build on Aregbesola’s legacies -APC

    The chairman noted that the biggest winner in the whole election saga is democracy.

    He gave the credit to the people of Osun as well as the ruling APC, which did not hesitate to submit to the democratic process despite the high stakes.

    ”As we said in an earlier statement, the PDP, in its time, would not have given any room for a rerun as it would have hijacked the main election, with its brigandage, rigging and total disdain for the democratic process.

    ”But as a party of change, we believe strongly in the democratic process.

    “We believe in the ability of the relevant institutions to carry out their assigned responsibilities and we believe in the ability of the people to do what is right.

    ”In the end, the good people of Osun did what is right by ensuring the shellacking of the PDP,” he said

    The chairman stressed that the Osun electorates had done the right thing in voting the APC, considering the impressive performance of the party’s led government in the state in the last eight years.

  • APC wins in Ife South, Ife North councils

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) won in the supplementary election held in three units of Ife North and Ife South local governments on Thursday.

    At Unit 12, Ward 7, Adereti Village, Olode, Ife South Local Government, the party polled 283 votes to defeat Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which got 15 votes.

    At Oyere village, Unit 2, Ward 10, Ife North Local Government, APC garnered 126 votes while PDP polled two votes.

    Similarly, at Unit 10, Ward 8, Osi, Ife South Local Government, APC scored 172 to beat PDP which polled 21 votes. The two parties were the top contenders in the election.

    At Olode village, there was a large turnout of voters and the exercise started at 8:00 am as slated. But the polling unit was besieged by huge number of politicians and hoodlums thereby creating tension at a stage in spite of the presence of heavy security.

    The exercise, however, went peacefully. Sorting started at 2:02 pm and was followed by counting.
    Voters had defied the rain which started at about 9:30 am. Most of them stayed in the rain, maintaining their positions in the long queues.

    A total of 812 voters registered at the Olode polling unit but only 310 votes. Of the lot, six votes were voided.

    The crowd of voters and politicians left the polling unit satisfied.

    Security agencies represented at the venue included Soldiers, Navy, Police, Immigration, Civil defence and the DSS.

  • Osun rerun: No cause for alarm, says REC

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun State Mr Olusegun Agbaje has assured voters of their safety during the ongoing re-run election.

    He said adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure maximum security.

    Agbaje urged voters in the affected units to come out and vote.

    Addressing reporters in Unit 17, Ward 5 in Osogbo where a re-run is taking place, he said the turnout has been impressive.

    “From what I’ve seen here, the process is very calm. The arrangement is quite in order. I believe that by the grace of God everything will end well. There’s no problem. There’s no cause for alarm.”

    Read Also: Osun re-run: Drama at polling units as voters defy heavy rainfall

    On the turnout of voters, he said: “This is just seven minutes after eight and you can see the queues. I believe more people will still come.

    “There will be no problem. We have enough security, so nobody will come and snatch our ballot boxes here.”

    National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Coordinator in Osun, Mr Emmanuel Attah, said his members serving as ad-hoc staff should be better protected.

    He said some corps members were harassed last Saturday, with some held hostage by thugs in their units.

    “We should go beyond this type of election in Nigeria. Thuggery will not move us forward.

    “Security is very tight today and I’m hoping for the best,” Attah said.

  • Foreign missions sues for peaceful rerun in Osun

    The Missions of the European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have called for a violence free rerun elections in the affected polling units in Osun State.

    In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the foreign missions stressed the importance that there should be no intimidation nor vote buying practices.

    They also urged that whoever emerged winner should be magnanimous in victory and the loser gracious in defeat.

    Commending the people for voting peacefully, the missions also praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for improved organisation and security services for their conduct.

    “We urge that all continue to support a peaceful, free, fair, and credible completion of the process as INEC re-runs the election in seven polling units where – through no fault of their own – voters were not able to cast their votes and have them counted last
    Saturday.

    “We stress the importance that the re-run should take place without any violence, intimidation, or vote buying.

    “Whoever wins the election after Thursday’s vote should be magnanimous in victory, and whoever loses should be gracious in defeat,” the missions said.