…Prays for efficient deployment of security personnel.
By Utitofon Idara
The Centre for Democracy and Development – Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its preparedness in the upcoming Osun State Gubernatorial elections this Saturday 16th July 2022.
Speaking at the press conference yesterday, Professor Victor Adefemi Isumonah noted that “As at 10 July 2022, INEC reported that only 1,479,595 million of the 1,955,657 registered voters had collected their permanent voter’s cards (PVC). This represents 76% of registered voters’’.
“To increase the collection of PVCS, INEC extended the deadline for collection to 14 July- two days before the elections. INEC will deploy 5,305 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to the 3,763 polling units across the 30 Local Governments Areas of the state”
He stressed that CDD-EAC will observe the performance of the BVAS and if technical hitches are dealt with promptly, because of its size, the Osun State governorship elections will constitute a sterner test of INEC’s capacity than the 18 June 2022 Ekiti State governorship election and it is significant because it will be the last major off-cycle election before the 2023 general elections.
“While the CDD-EAC commends the improvements recorded by INEC during the Ekiti State governorship election, such as early arrival of officials at polling units, improved performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during accreditation, and speedy management of results, there is still space for improvement. It should be recalled that the election in Ekiti State was marred by vote buying and the occasional report of violence. It is very important for INEC to build on the progress made in Ekiti and address any other challenges with its operations’’.
‘The CDD-EAC is concerned about the lack of an issue-based campaign by the major candidates and about recent instances of violence, such as the report that gun men recently attacked the home of the Labour Party’s candidate, Yusuf Lasun Also an inexplicable fire outbreak was reported at the home of the Accord Party candidate, Akin Ogunbiyi, and the PDP reported that police officers arrested some of their members without cause in Osogbo, as well as in Ijebu-ljesha and Eti-oni in Ori-Ade and Atakumosa Local Government Areas. Although 13 of the 15 political parties participating in the governorship election in Osun State signed a Peace Accord on the 13th of July 2022, there is need for a proper monitoring of adherence to the accord by the candidates, parties and their supporters’’. Said Isumonah
“The rising cases of cultism and street gangs in the state could be appropriated for electoral violence. With the current security realities, the Osun State governorship election will require an efficient deployment of security personnel. It is hoped that the recent signing of the peace accords by the governorship candidates will ensure that their supporters refrain from violent activities regardless of the result of the polls’’.
“The Osun State election is not just the last dress rehearsal for the 2023 general election, but it is also of interest to a number of national figures who can influence its outcome. The presidential candidate of the ruling APC, Bola Tinubu, is from the South-West geopolitical zone, while the former interim national chair of the party, Bisi Akande, is a former governor of the state. Also, Senator lyiola Omisore, the National Secretary of the APC, is from the state. Likewise, the PDP has shown more interest in the Osun State governorship election’’.
Voters in Osun State go to the polls for Saturday’s governorship election to either re-elect an incumbent governor, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), or change control of the state to any of the fifteen other parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which produced a former governor of the state (2003 – 2010). However, a major difference in this election is the strength of third party candidates and the possible impact it might have on the outcome of the election.
In 2018, Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party was a prominent candidate who won two Local Governments in the populous Ife area. Omisore has since moved to the APC. There are 16 political parties participating in the election – none of the governorship candidates is female, while six of the deputy governorship candidates are female. The age range of the candidates also shows that 25% of the candidates are below 40 years of age.
The Osun State election is not just the last dress rehearsal for the 2023 general election, but it is also of interest to a number of national figures who can influence its outcome. The presidential candidate of the ruling APC, Bola Tinubu, is from the South-West geopolitical zone, while the former interim national chair of the party, Bisi Akande, is a former governor of the state. Also, Senator lyiola Omisore, the National Secretary of the APC, is from the state. Likewise, the PDP has shown more interest in the Osun State governorship election when compared to Ekiti.
He warns against vote- buying and recalling that in 2018 election in Ekiti, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) recorded instances of PDP agents partaking while three men were arrested. ‘’Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa the presidential and Vice presidential candidate of PDP have attended rallies in Oshogbo, the presence of these individuals have raised concerns that there might be an increase in vote-buying, absence of security forces and violent during the election’’,
Concluding that voters should desist from fake news and misinformation that could lead to violent attacks.
