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#Osundecides: APC, PDP, SDP, others battle to produce next governor (Updates here)

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#Osundecides: APC, PDP, SDP, others battle to produce next governor (Updates here)

Anxiety as all eyes on Osogbo LG to determine winner

There is anxiety in Osun State over who becomes the next governor of the state between Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as they wait for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the result from Osogbo Local Government.

Osogbo is the most populated LGA in Osun State with 53,000 valid votes in the 2014 governorship election. 75% of the votes went to the APC.

A Premium Times report showed that the candidate of the PDP, Adeleke is leading with about 12,000 votes after the collation of results from 29 local government areas at the LGA collation centres.

The collated results, many of which have been further verified by INEC at its headquarters in Osogbo, showed that the PDP has so far scored 236,784 votes while APC followed with 224,488 votes.

However, results from polling units and wards in Osogbo showed that the ruling APC is having the upper hand.

Already, attention is on Osogbo, as the parties, politicians and other stakeholders have alleged of plans to alter the results to favor one of the leading parties.

There were reports of gunshots at the Osogbo collation center, but Ripples Nigeria was unable to verify it, even as there were reports that supporters of one of the parties were already in jubilation mode, expecting that their candidate would be announced as winner of the election.

#Osundecides: APC, PDP, SDP, others battle to produce next governor (Updates here)


We already have the ‘relevant results’, don’t alter collation— PDP

The campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the ongoing governorship election in Osun State has expressed confidence that its candidate is on his way to victory, urging that the will of the people be allowed to play out.

The organisation said this via statement it circulated on Saturday evening.

Full statement below:

The Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation has warned against the manipulation of the results of the governorship polls, affirming that the will of the people must be respected.

As results are been collated across the state, we demand utmost fair play and transparency from the electoral body.We are watching and monitoring closely. Under no circumstance should the collation process be manipulated.

Our agents and leaders are on their toes armed with relevant results and forms.The will of the people must be respected. We task INEC and security agencies to obey the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari who had ordered that the Osun electoral process should never be manipulated by federal or any related agencies.

We call on local and international observers to take note of the ongoing process and assist the people of Osun state to realise the supremacy of their electoral will.

Our people should also be ever vigilant to protect their votes and their aspirations for better life.

Signed

Olawale Rasheed,
Director of Media & Publicity, Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation.


Police arrest PDP chieftain for alleged vote buying

The police on Saturday said it had arrested one Mr Adeagbo Wasiu, a suspected PDP Chieftain at Ward 8 Unit 9 Fiwasaye Area of Osogbo.

He was purportedly apprehended in the act of votes buying and the sum of One Hundred and Sixteen Thousand (116,000) was said to have been recovered from him.

The police also stated that Investigation is ongoing.

Police arrest PDP chieftain for alleged vote buying


Two voters arrested in Osun

Two voters have been arrested in Ede North LGA for possessing two Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) which don’t bear their names nor pictures.

The two men whose identities were not released by security officials namely the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), were arrested at a polling unit in the area when they had come to cast their votes during the ongoing governorship elections in the state.

A security official who declined to mention his name confirmed their arrest when Ripples Nigeria reached out to him for comments.

An official of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the area, Ola Segun, said “I got the report that two men were arrested for PVCs that don’t belong to them because this is my ward and polling unit too. But when I could get to where they were, they have already been taken away by the police. But despite this, I believe we will still have the day,” he said.

Ede North is the home town of Ademola Adeleke, the governorship candidate of the PDP.

Ripples Nigeria can confirm that there are pockets of reports of vote buying during the ongoing elections especially in places like Iwo, Ede North, Ede South and Osogbo, the state capital.

In Osogbo, for instance, a group of voters at ward 10 were seen answering to their names on a register and collecting few Naira notes afterwards.

When Ripples Nigeria approached the scene where the money was being shared, sensing danger, the voters dispersed to different directions.


PDP spokesman commends police

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Prince Niran Odeyemi has commended policemen on election duty at the ongoing governorship election in Osun State for their peaceful and gentle conduct.

Odeyemi, an indigene of the state, stated this after casting his vote at his polling unit 002 NUD in Obokun Local Government Area of the state.

“Infact, we had the inkling that it was going to be peaceful because the policemen sent around were not harassing anyone, they were peaceful and gently. So, far everything has been going well”, Odeyemi said.

He also expressed optimism that the PDP candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke will win the election despite all the antics on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to undermine the election.

Continuing, Odeyemi said: “The election has been peaceful, there is no crisis anywhere as far as we are concerned in Obokun and Osun State. As one of the principal leaders of the PDP, there has been no reported case of violence anywhere.

Odeyemi also dismissed allegations that parties have been engaged in vote buying.

He said: “There is no evidence of vote buying as far as I can see, people already who they want to vote for and I am sure they must have made up their mind who they want to vote for before coming. So, if there was any vote buying, it would have happened before the election day and not during the election.”

On the functionality of card readers and his party’s chances at the poll, the PDP national officer said: “The card reader has been functional to some extent. We had problem with one in the morning but under 30 minutes, it was repaired and people have been voting.

“We are optimistic that our party will win because people are tired of the present government with series of allegations against them like half salaries here and there, unemployment and other issues on ground. So, people are ready to change the APC not minding all the controversies around our candidate and the attempt by the APC to undermine our candidate, we are sure of victory.”


Gov Aregbesola casts his vote

Governor Rauf Aregbesola cast his vote at Ifofin ward 8 unit 1, Ilesa East.


Security agents stop voters from taking smartphones into polling booths

Security agents attached to polling units in Saturday’s governorship election in Osun are stopping voters from taking their smartphones into polling booths.

This is in line with the ban on smartphones by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a bid to check vote buying.

In some of the polling units in Ilesa and Ile-Ife, majority of the voters came to the polling units with their smartphones but were stopped by security agents from taking them inside the cubicles.

A security personnel, who disclosed that the measure was to check vote buying, expressed the belief that the move had so far checked the incidence of vote-buying at polling units.

Also speaking on the development, an election obeserver, Mr Jimmy George, commended security agents for preventing voters from using their phones inside the cubicles.

George, who is the National Secretary of the National Committee of Patriots, said the action of the security agents would minimise vote-buying in the election.


Police arrest suspected vote buyers

The police on Saturday said it arrested two suspected vote buyers at Iwo LGA of OSUN State.
The men were reportedly arrested by a team of police personnel on election duty with the sum of N604,000 recovered from them, even as investigation is being intensified.

Meanwhile the PDP has alleged that agents of an opposition party are currently sharing money at ward8, unit3 Ota Efun in Olorunda local government.

#Osundecides: APC, PDP, SDP, others battle to produce next governor (Updates here)


APC candidate Oyetola votes

The governorship candidate of the APC Gboyega Oyetola has voted. He got accredited and voted at Ward 2, Unit 1, located at Popo Primary School, Boripe Local Government Area, Iragbiji, Osun State.

Oyetola is one of the contenders many believe may likely emerge the next governor of the state to succeed Aregbesola.

Oyetola who cast his vote at unit 2, Oloti ward 1 in Iragbiji ,Boripe local government area, said he was satisfied with the electoral process so far.


Politicians take vote buying to WhatsApp

In a bid to outsmart the tough stance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on vote buying in today’s governorship election in Osun State, politicians in the state have turned to social media messaging application, WhatsApp to woo voters with financial enticement, Saturday Punch reports.

According to Investigations by the newspaper, the representatives of at least one of the contestants were using the WhatsApp social media platform to woo Permanent Voter Card (PVC) holders, who are residents of Osun State, to sell their votes

The representatives, the report revealed hid their identities to carry out the vote buying exercise.

A correspondent of the newspaper had tried to get the identify of the buyers and was linked to a Whatsapp number 08120569530, where he was asked a series of questions to ascertain if he actually had a PVC and if he was an Osun State indigene.

The administrator promised that N10,000 would be deposited into the correspondent’s account number at 6am on Election Day. He was asked for his account detail, age, town, ward and unit to claim the amount.

According to the report, the administrator said: “You’ll receive bank alert 6am on the Election Day. Don’t forget to pass this good news to all your friends and family. Make sure you add us to you(r) phone book and don’t forget to send this to all your friends and family living in around Osun State. Expect our call anytime from now.”

According to the report, All efforts to track the identify of the people behind the scheme and the candidate they are working for proved fruitless.


Adeleke casts his vote

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has cast his vote at Abogunde Ward 5, Unit 9 in Ede.

Adeleke got accredited and voted at 8.08am.

Meanwhile, reports so far from different local government areas and poling units in Osun State this morning sound good. This is as materials got set up as early as 7am with voters behaving responsibly in most areas, queuing up and checking their names on the voters’ registers.

Voting also started a little after 8am in many polling units in the state.

#Osundecides: APC, PDP, SDP, others battle to produce next governor (Updates here)


APC, PDP, SDP, others battle to produce next governor

All is now set for the governorship election in Osun State, as the major political parties in the country and electorates in the state take to the polls today (Saturday) to produce the next governor of the state.

Forty-eight political parties presented candidates, but the leading contenders are Fatai Akinbade for the Advanced Democratic Congress (ADC); Moshood Adeoti for the Action Democratic Party (ADP); Gboyega Oyetola for the All Progressives Congress (APC); Ademola Adeleke for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); and Iyiola Omisore for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The winner of the election would be taking over from the incumbent Rauf Aregbesola who is serving his second term.

As at 5am this morning, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had deployed election materials to many of its offices in the 30 local government areas of the state where staff and other ad-hoc electoral officials were seen sorting or transporting them under the watchful eyes of security officials.

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