Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has cast doubts over the conduct of the Osun governorship rerun election taking place on Thursday, September 27, 2018.
The governorship election that originally took place on Saturday, September 22, 2018, was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, September 23.
This was because the victory margin of 353 votes of the first-placed candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke (254,698 votes) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over second-placed Gboyega Oyetola (254,345 votes) of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) was less than the 3498 votes canceled in seven polling units.
With Osun residents casting their votes in the affected polling units on Thursday, Atiku has taken to social media to raise alarm over reports of irregularities taking place in the conduct of the election.
He tweeted, “Reports about voters & observers intimidation by security agents in Osun rerun election is unacceptable & must be stopped. The rerun is being widely monitored in Nigeria & beyond.
“I hope that @inecnigeria will redeem its pledge of being an impartial umpire.”
Atiku’s alarm comes just hours after PDP candidate, Senator Adeleke, described the rerun election as a coup against democracy.
“What is happening in Osun State now is not an election. What we have is a coup. That is what we are witnessing now.
“Our supporters are being harassed and are not allowed to vote at all. Let the whole world know that this is not democracy,” he told The Punch.
There have been several reliable reports that the polling units in Orolu LGA, considered to be the stronghold of the PDP, are scenes of widespread irregularities.
Thugs are reported to scare, harass and physically assault voters suspected to be PDP members while security operatives do little to control the situation.
Journalists and observers are also heavily monitored by security operatives while alleged thugs are reported to have taken over Orolu Ward 08 PU001 in Kajola village.
Some voters in Orolu protested after their permanent voter’s cards (PVC) were seized by gun-wielding thugs and they were sent away.
Three members of the Nigerian Bar Association observer group were also arrested by policemen at Ifon on their way to monitor the rerun election in some of the polling units in Orolu LGA. They were later released.
After INEC initially expressed frustration with reports of security operatives hindering observers and journalist, the commission later disclosed that all issues had been resolved.
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