We’ll Be At The Polling Booths, Osun Voters Vow

by JOSHUA DADA, Osogbo, and DAMILOLA ORIGBEMISUYI, Akure

Despite the seemingly volatile security situation in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, a cross-section of voters have expressed their determination to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

While some said their resolve was based on past experiences, when elections were conducted peacefully despite similar concerns, others said they were relying on the security arrangements put in place for the poll.

LEADERSHIP Friday spoke with eligible voters who said they were prepared to defy fear and intimidation to participate in an election that would not come around again for another four years.

Oladele Sangodele, a driver and resident of Modakeke, said the last governorship election was held in 2022, adding that he could not be certain he would be alive in the next four years to witness another election.

He therefore said he was determined to participate in Saturday’s poll.

“My friend, nothing can stop me from participating in this election, not even a gun. I’m ready. My wife and Lola, who has obtained her voter’s card, will also vote. Nothing bad will happen to us. INEC is now different from what it used to be. We shall vote,” he said.

Speaking with our correspondent in Osogbo, a trader at Orisunbare Market, Tolani Igbamidun, said there was no tension in her compound, where her polling unit is located.

According to her, elections to public offices were not a daily affair, hence her determination to participate whenever the opportunity arose.

Also speaking in Osogbo, a civil servant, Gbenga Fajobi, said nothing would prevent him from voting.

He said no amount of threat or visible intimidation would stop him from voting for the candidate of his choice.

However, Bisi Odunlade, a resident of Ilesa, said she would vote only if she was convinced that the environment was conducive.

She said the activities of suspected cultists in the town had created fear among residents.

Asked if he had confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair and credible election, Taofeek Kelani, a resident of Ikire, said the technical measures introduced by the electoral body had made electoral manipulation more difficult.

He said, “I will go out to vote because it may even be difficult for INEC to rig elections these days.”

But Simbiat Adebimpe, from Ikinyinwa-Ijesa, who lamented her past experience with election results declared by INEC, said she had vowed never to participate in public elections again.

When encouraged to reconsider her decision, especially with the increasing emphasis on making every vote count, Adebimpe said she angrily destroyed her voter’s card after what she described as the subversion of the truth during the 1979 election.

She added that she had not participated in any election since then.

Meanwhile, an Ede resident, Nurudeen Ajiboye, said nothing would prevent an average Ede resident from voting.

Despite what he described as the “expected” intimidation from security operatives, Ajiboye said he would exercise his franchise on Saturday.

He said he would regret not voting if his preferred candidate eventually lost the election, adding, “Cowards die many times before their death.”

However, apparently apprehensive about possible violence, an eligible voter in Ile-Ife, Awobode Christiana, said all odds were against her participating in the election.

According to her, she had no confidence in the electoral umpire and questioned whether her safety could be guaranteed by security personnel whom she alleged were biased.

Another respondent, Akinbade Sulaimon, expressed his determination to vote but said he was not sure his vote would count.

The Ila Orangun resident, however, said he expected something to come out of the election.

Asked what his expectation was, he said, “They’ve promised me money. I will vote for the party that pays me big.”

When told about the consequences of his intended action, he replied, “They will arrest us tire.”

Osun East Voters Ready

Voters in Osun East Senatorial District have also expressed readiness to participate in Saturday’s governorship election, saying they have made up their minds on the candidates they intend to support.

Some voters who spoke with LEADERSHIP Friday said they were prepared to exercise their franchise and vote for candidates of their choice.

One of the voters, who simply identified himself as Idowu, said he was ready to vote for his preferred candidate.

He acknowledged that voting was the only way residents could elect the candidate of their choice, saying he was determined to make use of the opportunity that comes once every four years.

“I am ready to vote for the candidate of my choice. I have already made up my mind,” he said.

Another voter, Mrs Yemisi Dada, said, “I will vote because I want to participate in choosing who will govern the state.”

Meanwhile, residents and party supporters were seen hailing and chanting party slogans whenever vehicles belonging to their preferred political parties passed through the area.

Some residents waved at the vehicles and joined the chants, reflecting the high level of political interest among supporters ahead of Saturday’s election.

Security Agencies Step Up Patrols

As political activities intensified, police vehicles were observed moving around parts of the senatorial district as security personnel stepped up patrols.

There was a similar security presence in Osogbo, the state capital.

It was learnt that security personnel deployed to the state for the election began arriving on Thursday, while others had arrived three days earlier.

LEADERSHIP Friday also observed military patrols in the state capital.

The patrols, it was learnt, were part of a show of force aimed at deterring miscreants and preventing acts of violence before, during and after the election.