Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defended the conduct of supplementary election in Oyo State, saying the polls held in two federal constituencies were hitch-free.
The resident electoral commissioner (REC), Dr Adeniran Tella, who addressed newsmen after monitoring the exercise in the eight polling units in the two federal constituencies in Oluyole and Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East , said the supplementary election was peaceful and free of any form of violence.
He said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used in all the polling units worked well.
Tella who commended the voters in the concerned polling units for coming out to exercise their franchise, said voters in the affected polling units were seen on queues while INEC officials were attending to them for accreditation and voting.
According to him, the party agents of the two major contesting political parties – All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were present in all the polling units.
“The presence of security personnel, namely Army, Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were noticed.
‘’A cross-section of the voters at the polling units commended the electoral body for the smooth conduct of the election”, he added.
Commenting on the electoral process, the PDP vice-chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, lauded INEC for the smooth conduct of the rerun election.
Arapaja said reports from all the polling units showed that the commission adequately prepared for the election with the BVAS working perfectly well.
Meanwhile, the Oluyole Federal Constituency cadidate, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, dedicated her victory to her late mother, Princess Bamidele Abiose Akande and the constituents.
After her declaration as House of Representatives member-elect, the lawmaker said, “Today, I dedicate this victory to God Almighty, my late mother, my husband and my family who have sacrificed a lot to allow me to do this. I dedicate this to all leaders of APC, who have stood by me and all members of Oluyole Federal Constituency”.
