Osun rerun: YIAGA Africa indicts APC in election reports

The Nigerian citizens-led election observation group, #WatchingTheVote has released a damning report on the rerun gubernatorial election in Osun state and indicted the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The reports of the observations of YIAGA Africa was signed Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Co-Chair, Watching The Vote Osun Election Observation Mission and Ezenwa Nwagwu, Co-Chair, Watching The Vote Osun Election Observation Mission

The YIAGA ‘Watching the Vote’ deployed 13 stationary observers to the 7 polling units in the Local Government Areas where supplementary election is being conducted.

In its report, YIAGA said “APC agents and party representatives identified supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to political thugs who attacked and beat the PDP supporters and blocked them from accessing the Polling Unit.”

YIAGA also said that political thugs prevented its observers from monitoring the election in certain polling units and that the observers could only gain access to such units when foreign observers arrived with a security contingent and that the domestic observers were still prevented from witnessing the counting and posting of results in certain location.

YIAGA said political thugs also deprived media practitioners from accessing and using mobile phones at the polling unit until the afternoon when the issues were resolved.

According to YIAGA, “In PU 002, Alapata Village, Oyere – II Ward 10, APC party agents were seen distributing cash and food to prospective voters within the vicinity of the polling unit.”

“In PU 004 Idi Iya, Olofun Orolu Ward 8, APC agents distributed cash to voters and security agents in a location not more than 100 feet from the polling units.

“YIAGA Africa Watching The Vote calls on the voters of Osun to remain calm and be peaceful as INEC works to collate and announce the results.

“YIAGA Africa also urges INEC to carry out timely investigations into the critical incidents at Ward 8, Kajola Village, PU 001 Orolu LGA that may have undermined the credibility of the polls in this location.

“YIAGA Africa calls on INEC to make public the data from the E-Collation and E-Transmission of results from the polling units at the polling unit level and in a timely manner.

“YIAGA Africa urges contesting political parties to call on their supporters to remain calm and where parties may feel aggrieved with the outcome of the election, such party should seek legal redress through the official channels.

“YIAGA calls on the security agents to remain alert, vigilant and neutral during this period and to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of electoral violence especially those who prevented voters, observers and media practitioners from accessing some of the polling units.

“YIAGA calls on the media to promote credible and objective reportage of the supplementary elections.

“YIAGA Africa commends the people of Osun for maintaining the peace in the State throughout the period of the election.

“YIAGA would like to thank the people of Osun who volunteered to serve as non-partisan election observers on behalf of all the people of Osun,” the statement read.