OSUN RUN-OFF: Amid alleged electoral irregularities, APC hails INEC, security agencies

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for the Osun governorship election has expressed satisfaction with the outcome of Thursday’s supplementary election in the state, saying with the result, the people have emphatically pitched their tent with the ruling party.

This is amid reports by media, local and international observers of varied electoral irregularities during the exercise.

In a joint report of what happened in Osun during the poll by the United State (US), United Kingdom, and European Union, and read by US Consul General, Mr. John F. Bray, the group had said that they “witnessed what appeared to be incidents of interference and intimidation of voters and have reports of harassment of party monitors, journalists and domestic observers.”

But in a statement issued in Osogbo on Thursday by the chairman of the Council’s Media Committee, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Council 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.

It commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for a largely peaceful and orderly election.

The Council said the biggest winner in the whole election saga is democracy, and gave the credit to the good 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.

READ ALSO: What U.S., other int’l observers said about Osun run-off

“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. This is the right thing to do, considering the impressive performance of the APC-government in Osun in the last eight years,” Mohammed said.

The Council advised the PDP to stop issuing threats and to take full advantage of the democratic process if it has any grouse with the supplementary election.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

 

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