INEC Plans To Declare Osun Election Inconclusive— Adeleke Camp
The Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation of Osun State Governor and Accord Party governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has raised the alarm over an alleged plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Saturday’s governorship election inconclusive.
Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the council, Bamidele Salam, in a statement obtained by Politics Nigeria, described the alleged plan as “sinister” and an attempt to subvert the will of Osun voters.
The campaign council alleged that the purported move was being coordinated by some governors and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of efforts to frustrate what it described as Adeleke’s “imminent victory” in the election.
“Our Party wishes to inform Nigerians of a sinister plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to declare the ongoing Governorship election inconclusive in an apparent move to frustrate the imminent victory of Sen Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke of the Accord,” the statement said.
The campaign council further alleged that the move was one of the “last minute desperate moves” by the APC to hijack the election outcome.
It called on the INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, and the electoral commission to uphold their commitments to conducting a free, fair and credible election.
The council also appealed to security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to strengthen security around collation centres across the state.
It alleged that ballot boxes had already been hijacked at some polling units by suspected thugs and demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
The campaign council also urged local and international election observers to pay close attention to the collation process and speak out against any alleged attempt to undermine the electoral process.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the spokesman of the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, said Adeleke and the Accord Party were “in a comfortable lead” in the election.
Olajengbesi urged INEC to comply with President Bola Tinubu’s directive for a transparent, free and fair election, while calling on security agencies to remain professional and politically neutral during the collation of results.
He particularly warned against alleged attempts to manipulate the process at ward and local government collation centres.
“The votes of the good people of Osun must count,” Olajengbesi said, urging civil society organisations and international observers to monitor the process through the final declaration of results.
“INEC should not subject the democratic will of the people to the ego of APC power-grabbers and moneybags desperate to win this election at all costs when the Accord Party is clearly in the lead.
“We urge civil society organisations and lovers of democracy across the world to monitor this process till the very end and reject any nocturnal magic or manufactured votes by the APC.”
The allegations by the Adeleke camp come as INEC officials proceed with the collation of results from polling units across Osun State.
The Imole Campaign Council also called on voters and observers to remain vigilant, while urging the electoral commission and security agencies to ensure that the final outcome reflects the votes cast by the people of Osun State.
