The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said of the 1,955,657 registered voters in Osun State, 1,479,595 or 76 per cent, have collected their voters’ cards as at Sunday 10th July, 2022.
The nation’s electoral body assured to ensure a level playing field for all political parties ahead of the July 16 governorship election in Osun State.
The commission also appealed to all registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs to seize the opportunity of the additional measures to do so.
INEC’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital yesterday, stressed that the choice of who leads the state now rests on the electorates.
Yakubu said, “For us in INEC, let me reassure political parties, candidates, and the electorate that the choice of who becomes the next governor of Osun State is entirely in the hands of voters.
“As I have repeatedly said in previous engagements with stakeholders, INEC will not take any action to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate. Our focus is on the processes and procedures as provided by law.”
In the election which is purely male-dominated, 14 governorship candidates have been produced by 14 parties to challenge the incumbent, Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s election.
Prominent among the candidates challenging Oyetola are Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yusuf Lasun of the Labour Party (LP), Oyegoke Omigbodun of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party (AP).
“We are also updating our records to provide a detailed breakdown of PVCs collected by polling units. This will be concluded and made available on Friday 15th July 2022,” Yakubu said.
The commission, according to him, continues to deploy technology in the electoral process both as a matter of practice and a requirement of the law.
He said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed for voter accreditation and uploading of election results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day.
“Steps have been taken to ensure that the BVAS machines function optimally during voter accreditation based on lessons learnt from the conduct of recent elections. A few weeks ago, a mock accreditation exercise was conducted in polling units across the State.
“I personally observed the exercise in Osogbo and Boripe LGAs in Osun Central as well as Ede South and Egbedore LGAs in Osun West Senatorial Districts. I also visited our Ife Central, Ife East and Ife North LGA offices in Osun East Senatorial District.
“We are encouraged by the successful outcome of the mock exercise and the level of preparations by our offices. We have also trained enough Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs) and made adequate transportation arrangements for their rapid response in the event of reported glitches on Election Day,” he said.
Yakubu further said the Commission has accredited Polling Agents nominated by political parties for the 3,763 polling units, 332 Ward collation centres, 30 Local Government Area collation centres and the State Collation Centre where the final declaration of result will be made.
“As an indication of the intense national and international interest in the 2022 Osun State Governorship Election, 87 Observer groups (79 domestic and 8 international) deploying a total of 7,790 field observers have been accredited for the election. Similarly, 94 media organisations (92 national and 2 international) deploying 624 journalists have been accredited to cover the election,” he noted.
On Election Day, he said the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja will monitor the election throughout the State.
The INEC chairman added: “Our Zoom Situation Room will be activated. We are working to ensure that accredited observers and the media are invited to join us at intervals to provide live reports from the field. At the same time, citizens can contact us on our various platforms such as the toll-free INEC Citizens Contact Centre (ICCC) telephone line in addition to our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.”
He stressed the need to halt the diabolical practice of vote-buying in which voters are financially induced to vote one way or another.
“While we will continue to work with the security and anti-corruption agencies to confront this challenge, our effort will be given a boost by the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal as recommended by the Uwais Committee in 2009, reinforced by the Lemu Committee in 2011 and the Nnamani Committee in 2017.
“Happily, the Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal Bill is under consideration of the National Assembly. INEC supports this initiative and appeals to the National Assembly for a speedy conclusion and passage of the Bill into law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-general of police, IGP Usman Baba, has said 21,000 police officers would be deployed for the Osun July 16 governorship election.
The IGP stated this in Osogbo at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Osun 2022 governorship election stakeholders’ meeting.
Baba, however, said the deployment was not to intimidate residents but to prevent miscreants from hijacking or disrupting the election process.
He said the deployed officers would provide security, protect the electorate, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, personnel and materials before, during and after the election.
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He said the officers deployed had already been trained and made aware of the rules of engagement, adding that the police remained apolitical and they were to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
Also, INEC national chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission is fully ready to conduct the Osun election.
According to him, the election materials have already been deployed to all the state INEC local government area offices.
Yakubu said sensitive materials would be delivered to the wards 24 hours before the election and the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collection would still continue until Thursday, July 14, two days before the governorship election.
He said INEC would also be setting a record as Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) would also be deployed as ad hoc staff selected from NYSC corps members) for the election, asking the electorate to cooperate and protect them.
He hinted that five INEC national commissioners, 12 resident electoral commissioners and other senior INEC officers would be in the state to support the Osun office to deliver a credible, free, fair and conclusive election.
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