2022 Osun governorship election kicks off, Saturday

Much-anticipated Osun Governorship Elections has finally kicked-off in the 30 local government areas of the state today, Saturday, July 16 with 14 political parties participating. The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) had pulled out its candidate from the exercise earlier in the week.

Out of the 14, the strong contenders are candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), incumbent State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke; and Akin Ogunbiyi of the Accord Party.

Others are; Lasun Yusuf, the candidate of the Labour Party, and Goke Omigbodun of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The PDP candidate, Senator Adeleke who had alleged being rigged out by the APC and its candidate, Oyetola would be seeking to correct the outcome of the poll in 2018 when Senator Iyiola Omisore, then candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) withdrew from a scheduled run-off poll for him, Adeleke and Oyetola, and aligned with the APC candidate to clinch victory in the election for the incumbent state governor, after the main election was controversially declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the PDP candidate seemingly coasting to victory.

For Saturday’s poll, INEC says it has mobilised key officials and ad hoc staff to the state for the exercise, just as the Nigeria police has also deployed high-ranking officers in addition to the 21, 000 lower cadre personnel drafted to monitor the polls.

This is also as operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NCDC) and those of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were deployed to boost security and arrest voter buyers and sellers during the exercise.

So far, INEC has deployed five National Commissioners (NCs), 12 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to monitor the poll in the state.

During last Tuesday’s Osun 2022 Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Meeting, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC National Chairman, said the commission was 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.

Giving the records on PVC collection in the state, Mahmood added that out of the 1,955,657 registered voters in Osun, 1,479,959 voters have collected their PVCs as of INEC record of Sunday July 10.

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 said 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.

Already, sensitive electoral materials were delivered to the wards 24 hours to the election, as PVCs were still being distributed until Thursday July 14, two days to the governorship election.

On security, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Alkali Baba, Tuesday, directed a further deployment of 21, 000 personnel to monitor the Osun Governorship Elections, in addition to one Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) and four Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs), four Commissioners of Police (CPs), 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) and 30 Assistant Commissioners (ACPs) already dispatched to the state for the exercise.

The IGP, speaking during the Tuesday’s stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, said the massive deployment was to prevent miscreants from hijacking or disrupting the election process, adding that the deployed officers would provide security, protect the electorate, INEC personnel and materials before, during and after the election.

He added further that 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.

Already, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Olokode Olawale has been temporarily redeployed to the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja ahead of Saturday’s poll, on the orders of the IGP Baba.

Similarly, the Commissioner of Police and Provost Marshall at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Mr Julius Alawari, has been temporarily deployed to Osun for the election and would be there until the conclusion of the exercise.

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this, last Sunday, in a statement issued in Abuja, said the team deployed to Osun to monitor the election would be headed by the DIG in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Mr Johnson Kokumo.

According to him, adequate police personnel of the rank of Chief Superintendents of Police and below have equally been deployed for the election.

He said Kokumo would oversee the implementation of the Operation Order evolved from the Election Security Threat Assessment.

Adejobi said the idea was to ensure a peaceful and conducive environment, devoid of violence for law abiding citizens to freely perform their civic responsibilities without molestation or intimidation.

He said other senior officers deployed would coordinate human and other operational deployments in the three senatorial districts, 30 local government areas and 3,753 polling units in the state.

He said the personnel deployed were drawn from the conventional police officers, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Forces personnel, Explosives Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD), Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) and INTERPOL.

Adejobi said others were drawn from the Special Protection Unit (SPU), Police Airwing, Public Relations Department (FPRD) and the police medical team.

He said the personnel would be on ground to guarantee free, fair, credible and acceptable election.

According to him, five Armored Personnel Carriers for patrol, as well as three helicopters and six  Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for aerial surveillance amongst other unique operational assets are also deployed.

He said the Nigeria Police Force was satisfactorily prepared for the election and reiterated the commitment of the Force to synergise with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders for the election.

Adejobi said the synergy was to protect democratic values, provide level playing field for all political actors, ensure adequate protection of voters, INEC officials, equipment, accredited observers and other key players.

He urged the electorate to be law-abiding and to comply with the restriction of movement order to be announced at the appropriate time.

Meanwhile, earlier Wednesday, political parties participating in the Osun State Governorship Elections, in Osogbo met to sign a Peace Accord supervised by the INEC.

 In attendance were governorship candidates of political parties in person, party chairmen, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Members of the Commission, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), aides of the Hon. Chairman INEC & Directors of the Commission and other dignitaries.