As the Osun governorship election draws closer, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has organised election stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.
The election umpire assures stakeholders and electorates that the election is going to be free, fair and credible.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun State, Professor Abdulganiy Olayinka Raji, gave assurance that the results of the Osun gubernatorial election will be announced within 12 hours.
Raji, while announcing the steps taken by the Commission to ensure a free, fair and inclusive on Saturday 16 July 2022, he added that the measures taken will include ensuring adequate security and the distribution of non-sensitive material in preparation to the election, provision of electronic and printed maps to facilitate movement and training of security personnel and other stakeholders.
Part of his statement reads, “Polling units have been moved away from contested areas to public buildings and we have taken steps to distribute all non-sensitive materials to the polling unit level and are ready to be distributed to registration areas on election day.
“Maps of polling units with electronic and hard copy have been produced to ease movements and security and other stakeholders who have been trained.”
The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu reiterates that the Commission has taken steps to ensure a successful election added that five National Commissioners and 12 Resident Electoral Commissioners have been deployed to Osun State.
He said the Commission has drafted some of his high echelon to monitor the election, saying Osun election is very critical and important because is the election that precede 2023 general elections.
In the same vein, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba said he has deployed 21,000 police officers to provide adequate security before, during and after the election.
The police boss said, “We are deploying these officers to ensure that there’s no breakdown of law and order before, during and after the election.
“My men are not here to either intimidate or cause tension in the state. They are here to provide necessary security support.
The police boss also sounds note of warning to both the political parties and electorates, saying any act of disturbance during the election shall be vehemently resisted.
In attendance were the INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; The Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba; The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Babatunde Ogunwusi; DIG Joseph Kokumo.
Others are; Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Julius Okoro, INEC National Commissioner in-charge of Ogun, Ondo & Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi; Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Abdulganiy Raji, among others.
