OSUN GOV POLL: INEC out to get scapegoats

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vowed to make the September 22 Osun State governorship election a test case against vote buying ahead of the 2019 general elections.

According to the electoral body, the commission will use it to send a strong message to both buyers and sellers.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, stated this on Wednesday in Osogbo at a sensitisation forum for journalists ahead of the Osun State governorship poll.

Venerable Stephen Ojewande, Director of Voter Education, whom read the REC’s speech, said: “The Osun State governorship election must be used to send a very strong message to vote buyers and sellers as well as other perpetrators of criminal activities during elections.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the journalists were critical stakeholders with the INEC and key to the success of any election.

He warned that any INEC official caught engaged in any fraudulent act would be punished according to the law.

In a similar vein, some physically challenged persons living in Osun State have lamented their inability to register as voters with the Independent National Electoral Commission.

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One of the leaders of the PWDs from the Ife East Local Government Area in the state, Mr Adebolu Eluwade, stated this in Osogbo at the Osun Media Peace Day.

Eluwade, who said the programme was supported by the National Democratic Institute; BBC Media Action; USAID and UKaid, explained that the programme gave people living with disabilities the opportunity to let the people know the challenges being faced by these categories of people while trying to register.

He said: “Some of our members especially in Ife East will not be able to participate in the governorship election in the state because when they go to INEC office to register, the officials there do not understand their sign language and this is disenfranchising them.

“I want to appeal to INEC to hire those who can interpret sign language so that they would be able to communicate effectively with INEC officials to get registered as voters”.

 

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