By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), an election monitoring group, known as YIAGA Africa, has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security personnel for their effort in ensuring a credible and crisis free election process in the just concluded governorship election in Osun State.
YIAGA Africa said INEC had already declared Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election keenly contested on Saturday, having defeated the incumbent Governor and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Gboyega Oyetola.
YIAGA though faulted some recorded skirmishes and violence, raging from voting buying and selling, disclosed that despite all odds, the exercise was credible, saying there is need for improvement by INEC and political actors against vote buying syndrome.
YIAGA in a press conference addressed on Sunday shortly after the declaration of Adeleke as winner of the election, the Chairman Board of YIAGA Africa, Dr Hussaini Abdu said the election was keenly contested.
He said: “We commended INEC for the significant improvement in logistics management for the Osun 2022 governorship election.”
Dr Abdu said the personnel and essential materials, such as the Voter Register, BVAS, voting cubicles and ballot boxes, were deployed early in most of the polling units.
He condemned the cases of violence and disruption of the voting and results collation process by thugs and hoodlums, especially the violence targeted at NYSC members and INEC staff. Although these cases are isolated, they undermine Nigeria’s electoral reform project.
“YIAGA Africa extends its wishes to polling officials who suffered severe injuries due to attacks and violence against polling officials. and a thorough investigation into these cases of attack and intimidation against polling units
“We commended the people of Osun as well for largely conducting themselves peacefully through the election day voting and counting process, I also commends INEC and the security agencies for ensuring the voters in Osun exercised their franchise in a transparent and secure environment. ”
The NGO noted that it received confirmed 29 critical incidents during the exercise, ranging from vote buying perpetrated by agents of the APC and PDP in some polling units of PU 009, Akinlalu Commercial Grammar School, Ward 01 in Ife North local government area of Osun state, said some agents strategically positioned themselves by the voting cubicle to see how voters marked their ballots.
“In PU 003 Opp. At Olomu Mosque in Osogbo, PDP party agents were seen handing out between N2000 and N5000 to induce voters. Also, in Disu Polling Unit 003, ward 7 in Orolu LGA, APC agents were seen distributing N4000 to voters who voted for the party while PDP party agents were seen distributing N2000 to induce voters, secrecy of the Ballots compromised:
“At Ward 11, Unit 3, Palace Town Hall (old post office Iree) in Boripe, Yiaga Africa observed voters showing how they mark their ballot papers to APC party agents before dropping them in the ballot box. BVAS Malfunctioned
” In Ife North LGA, PU 001 at St. Raphael primary School Toro, the BVAS malfunctioned at about 11 am. A request was made for a replacement which came at 3:30pm.
“Also at Open Space-Under Tree, Ojude Oke, PU 010, Iragbiji Ward 4, Boripe LGA, Thugs associated with the APC threatened to stab any voter who did not vote for the APC.”
He stated that voters, however, insisted on casting their votes for the candidate of their choice.
YIAGA Africa also received a report from Ogbagba Village, Ward 11, Pu 013 of a thug/cultist affiliated with the PDP coming to disrupt the process while Alagbede Comp. beside Baptist Pry. School, Ward 05, Unit 007, part agents from APC & PDP were seen intimidating the elderly who came to cast their vote.
He said Afaake Town Hall. PU 003 during voting an APC party agent was seen close to the ballot box folding the ballot papers of some voters after they were done thumb-printing their choice.
According to him, reports revealed that the gubernatorial election reflect the ballots cast at polling units on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
Just as he called on INEC to audit the newly created polling units and ensure equitable distribution of voters to the polling units.
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