Osun Election: INEC Chairman, IGP, others due in Oshogbo…..REC …………..dismisses Omisore’s allegations
……..says Commission ready free, fair and credible poll
As the preparations for the forthcoming. Osun State Governorship election hots up, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Segun Agbaje on Sunday hinted that the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and his team as well as the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris are due in Oshogbo, the State Capital soon
Agbaje disclosed this on Sunday while speaking with news men on the preparations of the Commission in the state ahead of the poll slated for September 22nd this year.
The REC stated that both INEC boss and the IGP would be coming to the state few days to the election proper to hold crucial meetings with Stake holders for a peaceful conduct of the poll to consolidate the series of the dialogues the Commission in the State had been holding with then in the recent time
He disclosed that the Commission in the State had put in place about 75 per cent of the necessary things needed for the conduct of a peaceful and credible poll in the State which would be acceptable to all and Sundry.
Speaking on the allegations by the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Governorship Candidate in the Election , Senator Iyiola Omisore that he (Agbaje ), had compromised ahead of the election and should be redepoyed out of the state immediately, the REC, Omisore lied as his allegations lacked substances to back them up.
Agbaje stated that when his attention was drawn to the Omisore’s claims, he laughed especially where he claimed that security reports had revealed that he (Agbaje) was a regular visitor at the Government House. OShogbo and that he got to know about this through ‘Security Reports”.
Senator Omisore had last Friday told the visiting team of the British High Commission, Lagos, who was in the State on a fact findings mission on the governorship election that Agaje had been compromised as he had been a regular visitor to the Government House, Oshogbo since assumption of office in the State and hence, he should be removed ahead of the poll to avoid electoral violence from his supporters
Agbaje dismissed the allegations with a waive of hands saying that he had never been to the Osun government House, Oshogbo, since his assumption of duty as the State REC since on April 24th this year and that he had neither met with Governor Aregbesola as a person face to face since assumption of office after his redeplyement to the State.
According to him, ” When my attention was called to the Media report quoting Senator Omisore of making such allegations against me, I was just laughing, so I think Governor Aregbesola will be doing. Since my arrival in Osun as the REC, I have never met Aregbesola or visited the government House but for Omisore to now be saying that security reprts had revealed to him that I have been a regular vistor to Aregbesola at the government House as if am having my dinner at the place, it is laughable to me and I think the same goes to the governor
”By now, all serious candidates representing the various Political Parties should be on field campaigning to the electorate and canvassing for their votes and not just sitting in the comfort Zone of their rooms and be making wild and false allegations, this will not translate to electoral victory this time around, the electorate are wiser now, they are not gullible
” There will be no violence in whatever form before, during and after the governorShip election based on my regular interactions with the Stake holders since my assumption of office , they are cooperating we us, they are parts of everything we are doing here as a Commission, we have nothing to hide
” I have told the Stake holders severally and am still repeating it now, if any politician or stake holder observes anything in the activities of the officials of the Commission in the State under my watch that are not in line with the Electoral Act, as amended, they should quickly call my attention to this and I gave everybody my Telephone lines through which they can reach me at any tme
” However, I went further in order to guide against what is happening now in this case of Omisore, I told them that if the observation is against my humble sefl, they can either contact the Chairman of the Commission directly to lodge any complaint against me or do so through any of the National Commissioer at the Commission’s Headquarters in. Abuja
” To me, I didn’t expect such allegations from Senator Omisore, he is rpected personality from the South- West Zone, such falsehood are not expected from him, but am not bothered, he is free to come and prove his allegations since he mentioned security repoets at his disposal
” At least there are always gate men and security personnel from the Various Security Agencies at the entrance of any Government house. Members of the public can also go and do their independent finding on this matter., we have nothing to hide “.
The REC lamented that even Senator Omisore who was now making false allegations have not been coming to the previous stake holder meetings held with others in the past and that of the one held last week where all Stake holders were duly briefed on all steps being taken towards having a successful election in the State and wondered where he got his own information.
Speaking on the engagement of the needed ad-hoc personnel , Agbaje stated that they would be recruited from the Federal institutions in the state but that those that would be needed for the exercise would not be made public now for security reasons
On the level of collection of the permanent voter cards, PVCs , to be used by the electorate, Agbaje stated that the Commission would take the distribution of the Cards to the all the Local Government Areas in the State from this week to make the collection easier for the electorate who were yet to collect theirs to do so before the lection day as nobody no matter highly placed would be allowed to vote without the presentation of his or her PVC at any polling centre in the State.
