Osun Rerun: US, EU, UK Missions Urge Voters to Ensure Peaceful, Credible Election

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

The United States government alongside the European Union and United Kingdom missions, Tuesday tasked Osun electorate to ensure that the forthcoming rerun of the governorship election was peaceful and credible.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday declared the governorship election in the state inconclusive and scheduled a rerun for Thursday this week.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, had polled 254,698 ahead of his closest contender, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who came a scored 254,345 votes, leaving a difference of about 353 votes. The margin of win was however lower than the number of cancelled votes in seven polling units, hence the declaration of the election as inconclusive.

In a statement which emanated from the Information Office of the Public Affairs Section, United States Embassy, the missions commended the people of Osun for voting peacefully.

The statement which was made available to THISDAY read: “The Missions of the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States observed the voting in Osun State September 22.

“We commend the people of Osun for voting peacefully, the Independent National Electoral Commission for the improved organisation of the election, and security services for their conduct.

“We urge that all continue to support a peaceful, free, fair, and credible completion of the process as INEC re-runs the election in seven polling units where — through no fault of their own — voters were not able to cast their votes and have them counted last Saturday.

“We stress the importance that the re-run should take place without any violence, intimidation, or vote buying.

“Whoever wins the election after Thursday’s vote should be magnanimous in victory, and whoever loses should be gracious in defeat.”