Coalition Asks INEC to Curb Vote buying in Osun Guber Poll 

Oluchi Chibuzor

A coalition of Civic Society Organisations has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to proactively curtail technical manipulation activities in order to curb vote buying in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State. 

The coalition lamented unprecedented vote buying that characterised the just concluded governorship election in Ekiti State, pointing out that the 2023 general elections could be exposed to dangers of massive rigging.  

This was contained in a joint statement by Chairman, National Consultative Front (NCF),Prof Pat Utomi; Convener, Civil Society Committee for Anti-Fraud Election Security (CISCAES), Mr. Kennedy Iyere and Coordinator, Peace Action Transformation, Mr. Adegboyega Adeniji yesterday. 

The statement said the coalition was largely on ground “to monitor and to observe the Ekiti elections. It boldly returned the verdict that the Ekiti elections left much to be desired.

“It has become imperative to review the alarm of the authenticated assertions by CISCAES which reinforced those of other observers and “that the recently conducted Ekiti governorship poll was marked with massive fraudulent practices.”

It insisted that vote-buying and technical manipulations of the voting process by INEC Officials was rampant, saying it was very imperative “to initiate proactive anti-fraud interventions ahead of the forthcoming Osun 2022 Guber-Poll, which will be held on Saturday July 16.

“CISCAES is taking the responsibility to alert the generality of Nigerians and the international community that unless proactive  preventive measures are adopted to forestall fraudulent practices, it has become predictable that the Osun 2022 guber-poll will inevitably be rigged just like the Ekiti poll. 

“As Nigerians, we must do everything within our means to protect the voting processes of the Osun 2022 Guber-Poll from being hijacked and manipulated by the power that be.

“It could turn out to become uncontainable if we carelessly allow a repeat in the Osun Guber-Poll the same fraud that was perpetrated in the Ekiti Guber Poll.” 

The statement reads in part: “In such a case, the worst hit would be the 2023 general elections will then be vulnerable to the dangers of massive rigging.

“Consequently, Nigerians, both home and in diaspora, as well as members of the international community must kick-start a thorough monitoring of the electoral process of the Osun governorship election. This process shall be kick-started with a World Press Conference, scheduled to hold on July 11.

“The proposed World Press Conference is designed to announce and herald the various anti-fraud action plans aimed to execute activities which will make it difficult or impossible to rig the Osun governorship election. 

“It is pertinent to note that various CSOs are collaborating to host this significant World Press Conference on Osun 2022 Guber-Poll Ballot Security coordinated by CISCAE and with backup of 40 million Ballots Movement. 

“Also, the  post-conference execution together with the implementation of the recommended anti-fraud interventions shall jointly be executed by the intervening and collaborating CSOs,” the statement said.

Glo Engages Obesere, Teni to Perform at Ojude Oba

The duo of Fuji superstar, Abass Obesere and Teni Apata will be on the bandstand as the Globacom-sponsored Ojude Oba Festival begins today  in the ancient town of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

This was revealed in a statement by Glo Corporate Communications Office yesterday.

The statement said the musical jamboree, Ojude Oba Music Fiesta, was one of the features of the telecommunications giant’s sponsorship of the festival.

It added that the fiesta would provide fun and entertainment to participants at the event where the popular Comedian Bash would also entertain guests with rib-cracking jokes. 

The statement said the show “is scheduled to hold at the Equity Resort along Erunwon Road, Ijebu Ode. In addition to this, a beauty pageant where a bevy of Ijebu-born ladies will compete for the “Miss Ojude Oba” crown will be held. 

“Globacom explained that competitors in the beauty pageant have to be indigenes of Ijebuland as well as students or graduates of any institution of higher learning within Ijebuland.”

The statement disclosed that an age grade contest, popularly known as “Regberegbe competition” is equally slated for the grand finale of the festival. 

It added that the best dressed age grade in the male and female categories “will win N500,000, while the first and second runners-up will go home with N300, 000 and N200,000 each.

“Globacom will also reward the town’s different horse-riding families who display dexterity and unusual skills on their horses with N300,000 for the winner and N200,000 and N100,000 for the first and second runners-up respectively. 

“The festival is a convivial gathering of sons and daughters of the land where obeisance is paid to the paramount ruler, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. 

“Globacom’s sponsorship of the event began 16 years ago and the company has raised the bar of the ancient festival to make it a delight to tourists within Nigeria and abroad.”