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Race for Osun Govt House: Aregbesola, Omisore
in Battle Royale
Governor Aregbesola
• Jega promises free, fair election
By Yinka Kolawole
Tension remained very high for most of yesterday
through out Osun State as the two leading candidates
in today’s gubernatorial election, incumbent
governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives
Congress and Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples
Democratic Party made discreet last minutes moves
to woo voters.
Security was tight across the state as tough-looking
soldiers, policemen and Department of State
Security personnel were seen patrolling major
streets.
About 73,000 security operatives including 15,000
soldiers, 30,000 policemen, 8,000 DSS operatives
and 20,000 civil defence “personnel have been
deployed to maintain law and order during election.
Source said men of the anti-terrorism squad are part
of those drafted to the state and “are already
searching for dangerous weapons including
improvised explosive devices.
Today’s election is expected to be a straight fight
between Aregbesola and Omisore. While Aregbesola
will be banking on the incumbency factor and his
record of achievements in the last three and half
years, Omisore will benefit largely from being the
candidate of the ruling party at the national level and
the “federal might” that comes with it.
However, Omosore’s tainted past, particularly his
alleged role in the death of Chief Bola Ige “may work
against him.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command has
announced a 24-hours curfew in the state.
The state’s supervising commissioner of police, Mr.
Augustine Evbakhabokun said this was done to guide
against intruders, thugs and other electoral violators
who might want to hijack the election for their own
interest.
While addressing the press in Osogbo yesterday,
Evbakhabokun directed that no politicians, no matter
his or her position must be seen with police orderly
during the election.”
Evbakhabokun added that nobody would be allowed
to carry fireman to the polling poll, stressing that
violator of the electoral law will not be speared.
He urged politicians to play the game according to
the rules and regulation guiding the electoral law.
He warned “all trouble makers” to relocate from the
state in their own interest, saying those caught
violating the law will face the music.
The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sulaiman
Abba had earlier warned that trouble -makers caught
during the election would face the wrath of the law.
Abba assured that adequate security would be
provided for electorates, electoral officers and
stakeholders before, during and after the poll adding
that the Police was prepared to check any break-
down of law and order.
The Police boss equally noted that nobody would be
allowed to intimidate voters and warned political
thugs and their sponsors to beware as the police are
fully ready to protect lives and properties of the
citizens.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega yesterday
re-affirmed that the commission would ensure that
the election in Osun is transparent, fair, free,
credible and acceptable nationwide.
Jega said: “The commission remains focused and
firm in conducting a credible poll in Osun State that
will show the entire world that Nigeria can handle
her internal democracy for others to copy.”
He urged all the candidates to refrain from
lawlessness and promised that security men would
not molest, harass or intimidate eligible voters
during the election.
Also yesterday, INEC released an information kit on
today’s election ‘which shows a total of 1,407, 222
valid number of voters (post-March 2014 Continuous
Voter Registration (CVR)).
The Osun State REC disclosed that 10,432 Ad hoc staff
had been recruited for the election.
Agbaje said that three security agents would man a
polling unit, while the whole local government
councils would be secured through coordinated
motorized patrols to forestall any breakdown of law
and order by unscrupulous elements.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APC, Chief
John Oyegun yesterday alleged that the party had
uncovered what he termed “PDP's manual plan to rig
governorship election in Osun State.”
Oyegun, at a press conference in Osogbo yesterday
alleged that the manual had been completed with
projected fake results in all the 30 local government
areas of the state.
He said that the rigging plans were contained in two
documents prepared by the PDP in Osun, “which are
now in the possession of the APC.”
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