Governors who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party’s national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; its presidential candidate for the 2023 poll, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Senate President Ahmed Lawan and other bigwigs in the party yesterday urged the people of Osun State to re-elect Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
They spoke at a mega rally for Oyetola’s re-election held at the Osogbo City Stadium which was attended by about 20 APC governors led by the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, and Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu.
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The election is slated for this Saturday.
Bagudu said, “Today (yesterday), we are here for this grand rally and honoured to be here to throw our support behind you.
“We did it about four years ago, and you were elected based on what you can do. Now, we are here again to show solidarity based on what you have done.
“We are assuring the citizens of Osun that this gentleman governor will continue to do what is healthy for our democracy. He did not disappoint in the first term, he won’t disappoint in the second term.”
Senator Adamu said the turnout at the mega rally was an indication that the APC was not taking any chances with the affairs of Osun, adding that the state deserves a leader like Oyetola in its quest for development.
“We are here not only to testify to what he has done but to appeal to you to turn out in large numbers to vote massively for him. We are anticipating a better outcome than what we had in Ekiti and by the grace of God, we are sure of victory,” he said.
Tinubu said, “We have come to ask that you vote massively on Saturday for APC, not as a mark of entitlement but because of the future of your children.
“Before you make your decision, think of the future. We are a party that guarantees your future because we are known for fulfilling our promises. Let us entrust the affairs of our state into the hands of those who mean business, not mushroom parties.”
Earlier, the chairman of the National Campaign Council for Osun governorship election and Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described Oyetola as deserving of another term based on his personal encounter with the people of the state.
INEC, IGP, Ooni, others warn against vote buying
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday warn the people of Osun State against inducement during this Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
They gave the warning in Osogbo, the state capital, during a stakeholders meeting organised by INEC for the governorship candidates, representatives of political parties, traditional rulers and senior security operatives.
INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission was deploying five national commissioners and 12 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to supervise the election and assured residents that it would be free and fair.
Yakubu said, “With every election, we learn lessons and in every subsequent election there is improvement on the previous election.
“Yes, we agree that there were issues in the Osun governorship election in 2018. We have learnt lessons from that election and that’s why this time around we are deploying five national commissioners and 12 RECs to support the process being handled by our state office. So we have learnt lessons and you’re going to see a much improved process in 2022.
“For us in INEC, let me reassure political parties, candidates and the electorate that the choice of who becomes the next Governor of Osun State is entirely in the hands of voters.
“As I have repeatedly said in previous engagements with stakeholders, INEC will not take any action to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate. Our focus is on the processes and procedures as provided by law.”
He said that of the 1,955,657 registered voters in Osun, 1,479,595 (76%) had collected their cards as at Sunday, July 10, and that the commission was updating its records to provide detailed breakdown of PVCs collected by polling units which would be concluded and made available on Friday July 15.
The IGP, Baba, disclosed that 21,000 personnel had been deployed to provide adequate security during the election.
The Ooni of Ife expressed satisfaction with the preparation of INEC and the commitment of security agencies towards a peaceful election and cautioned politicians and residents to shun any act that would threaten the peace of the state.
Meanwhile, INEC has said it would deploy 35 serving NYSC members and 7,790 observers for the election.
By Abbas Jimoh & Hameed Oyegbade
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