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–EU, UK, U.S. To Investigate Claims
Tayo Olanipekun
Civil society organizations have condemned the process of the Osun State governorship election re-run that took place on Thursday.
The Nigeria Civil Society (NCS) Situation Room and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), in separate statements, said the exercise was marred by irregularity.
NCS said while it received reports of early arrival of materials and INEC officials in most of the polling units, election observers and journalists were denied access to Orolu, one of the seven local governments where election took place.
“There were also reports of political thugs and hoodlums being used to intimidate voters, with security forces standing by and failing to act,” it said in the statement.
NCS said the circumstances that led to the re-run in the affected area repeated themselves in most of the election, “raising the questions on why results obtained under these conditions should now stand.”
The CDD in a statement on Thursday has also said that it held “strongly the view that the re-run poll of Thursday, September 27, 2018 does not meet up with the minimum standards for free, fair and credible elections.”
It said it observed attempts by “members of the security forces to prevent some voters who allegedly belong to opposition party from accessing PU012, Olode Ward 7, in Ife-South Local Government Area, even after showing their PVC.”
This is as the election observation team of the U.S., EU and UK has also said it was concerned by the reports from the election and will be checking with stakeholders to check the facts.
In an interview monitored on the local TV stations in Lagos, a member of the observer team and Consul General of the U.S.,John Bray, who spoke on behalf of the team, said the U.S. EU and UK observers had heard reports of irregularities, harassment and interference by inappropriate persons in the elections.
He had addressed journalists on behalf of the team in Osogbo, noting that the team had heard reports of irregularities, harassment and interference by inappropriate persons in the elections.
The rerun election was to determine the winner of the governorship declared inconclusive last Saturday. The PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke had led in that election with a lean margin of victory over the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.
The results of the election are still being collated.
