Osun Rerun: Civil Society Express Worries Over 2019 General Election
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said the lapses in the Osun state re-run elections has put a serious question mark on the electoral process, raising concerns about the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
The group in a statement issued regarding the rerun conducted by The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the election was heavily policed in a manner that created heavy tension and apprehension among voters.
The Situation Room noted that despite reports of early arrival of materials and INEC officials in most Polling Units (PUs) where the rerun elections were conducted, it was difficult to confirm how the voting process started, as media and election observers were denied access during the early part of the day, especially in Orolu local government area.
The Situation Room which monitored the rerun election conducted by INEC in seven polling units of Osun State, stated that reports from Orolu indicated incidents of intimidation, harassment of media persons and arrest of election observers who attempted to enter the LGA.
"It is clear that the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the elections in the seven polling units where the elections were re-run, including violence, also repeated themselves in most of this election, raising questions on why results obtained under these conditions should now stand.
"Situation Room is further concerned that the entirety of the Osun State re-run election derogates from the recent gains made in our elections process and the confidence that was
beginning to be built", The CSOs observed in the statement
Recalled at the end of collation of results of the September 22nd Osun election Ademola Adeleke of the people's Democratic Party (PDP) won majority votes of 254,698 while Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressive Congress (APC) came second with 254,345 votes.
The election was however declared inconclusive after INEC observed voting irregularities in seven polling units, and scheduled 27th September for a rerun in the affected LGAs which included one PU in lfe North, two in lfe South, three in Orolu and one in Osogbo.
The group in a statement issued regarding the rerun conducted by The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the election was heavily policed in a manner that created heavy tension and apprehension among voters.
The Situation Room noted that despite reports of early arrival of materials and INEC officials in most Polling Units (PUs) where the rerun elections were conducted, it was difficult to confirm how the voting process started, as media and election observers were denied access during the early part of the day, especially in Orolu local government area.
The Situation Room which monitored the rerun election conducted by INEC in seven polling units of Osun State, stated that reports from Orolu indicated incidents of intimidation, harassment of media persons and arrest of election observers who attempted to enter the LGA.
"It is clear that the circumstances that led to the cancellation of the elections in the seven polling units where the elections were re-run, including violence, also repeated themselves in most of this election, raising questions on why results obtained under these conditions should now stand.
"Situation Room is further concerned that the entirety of the Osun State re-run election derogates from the recent gains made in our elections process and the confidence that was
beginning to be built", The CSOs observed in the statement
Recalled at the end of collation of results of the September 22nd Osun election Ademola Adeleke of the people's Democratic Party (PDP) won majority votes of 254,698 while Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressive Congress (APC) came second with 254,345 votes.
The election was however declared inconclusive after INEC observed voting irregularities in seven polling units, and scheduled 27th September for a rerun in the affected LGAs which included one PU in lfe North, two in lfe South, three in Orolu and one in Osogbo.
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