LIVE UPDATES: Anxiety As Osun Residents Await Outcome Of Governorship Re-Run Election

By Sodiq Yusuf

Sorting, Counting and Announcement of results have ended in the Seven Polling Units where a re-run was held on Thursday to conclude the Osun 2018 Governorship Election.

Today’s election was imperative due to the inconclusiveness of Saturday’s election where results from the seven polling units in Ife North, Ife South, Orolu and Osogbo Local Governments.

The Returning Officer for the Election, Prof Adeola Fuwape while announcing the results on Sunday said the election remained inconclusive as the number of cancelled votes was more than the margin of 353 between the candidate of the PDP, Ademola Adeleke who scored 254, 678 and that of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola who had 254, 345 votes.

In Ife North, the election holds in Ward 10 (Oyere II), Polling Unit 002 (Alapata Village), Ife South votes in  Ward 07 (Olode), Polling Unit 12 ( Adereti Village) as well as Ward 08 (Osi), Polling Unit 0010 ( Alutierin Primary School, Albert Village).

For Orolu Local Government, voters in Ward 08 (Olufon Orolu ‘H’), Polling Unit 001 (Kajola Village), Ward 08 (Olufon Orolu ‘H’) Polling Unit 004 (Idi-Iya Village), Ward 09 (Olufon Orolu ‘I’) Polling Unit 003 (Gbogbo Primary School).

While in Osogbo Local Government, voting is underway in Ward 05 (Ataoja ‘E’) Polling Unit 017 (Adewale Street), Alekuwodo area in the state capital.

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8.15 AM Large Turnout at PU 17, Ward 5, Adewole Street, Alekuwodo, Osogbo as voters troop out to cast their votes. There are reports that voters turned out early to exercise their civic duty. As at 8am, members of the public especially the aged were attended to at the first time.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje was said to have showed up at the polling units urging voters not to fear but come out to cast their ballot.

Here are live pictures from the scene.

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9 AM – People from other polling units are also out to cast their votes. We will bring you their pictures and their locations as soon as possible.

10AM – There is an impressive turnout of voters in the polling units visited so far by our correspondents. There are reports of heavy presence of Security agencies in flashpoints especially in Orolu Local Government which has the highest number of units in this election.

Security agencies are on the rise to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Osun Rerun: Stop Misleading Public…. Orolu APC

A statement by Alao Waheed from Ifon Osun in Orolu Local Government says the general public have been advised to disregard information from the PDP and thier fake Observers which tends to mislead the public on the rerun election that is slated for today.

Orolu APC has described it as fake, baseless and unfounded, that Observers and some PDP members were not allowed to gain access to those polling units where the rerun is ongoing, adding that the onus of proof is their responsibilities.

Only PDP leaders from other local government who have no business to be there and unaccredited Observers were not allowed, but every other accredited Observers, reporters and voters were allowed to exercise their Civic responsibilities

It is absurd for PDP leaders to be crying wolf because they were not allowed them to gain access with their fake Soldiers from Ede and their hired thugs.

“Voting process in ongoing peacefully in Kajola, Idi Iyaa and Gbogbo polling units as all party members involved were with us, exercising their Civic duties without harassment and intimidation”.

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12. PM – Reports from field indicate that instead of the blockade of Journalists, Accredited Observers from polling units in Orolu LGA that members of the Peoples Democratic Party are spreading on Social Media, the situation is untrue.

A TVC Reporter, Rasheed Rasheed who covered the process in the units at Orolu LGA said the election is peaceful across all the 3 units.

Also, the INEC commissioner monitoring the area told newsmen that the situation is under control and that there is no case of ballot box snatching, Smart Card reader manipulation among others.

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12.30 PM – Reports filtering in indicates that some fake election observers of the PDP have been arrested at Unit 17, Ward 5, Alekuwodo in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun. They were apprehended with PDP membership Cards.

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INEC To Address Issues Of Prevention Of Observers, Journalists in Orolu

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will address the issues of pressmen and electoral observers allegedly being arrested and prevented from operating in polling units by security agents.

On its verified Twitter handle, @inecnigeria, INEC said, it was disturbed by the reports that security operatives were preventing gentlemen of the press and electoral observers from carrying out their activities during the Osun governorship rerun.

They tweeted, “INEC is disturbed about reports that accredited media and observers are being arrested or prevented from operating in some polling units. This is being taken up with the security agencies.”

See tweet:

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12. 45 pM – Pictures from Garage Olode in Ife South Local Government Area where voting is reported to have ended just filtered in. Take a look.

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2. PM – Voting has officially ended in all seven polling units across the State of Osun. However, those already on queue are to vote at polling units in line with INEC Guidelines.

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As at 3.30 PM – Counting and Sorting cum announcement of votes in all polling units have been concluded in all polling units. Results at this time all favour the ruling APC as the party to hold on to Power in the State of Osun.

As at 4. 30 PM – Members of the APC in Osun are now jubilating. The results in so far produces real evidence that the APC has coasted to victory once again and will rule Osun for the next four years.

5. 00 PM Residents, Voters and all citizens of the State of Osun are all anxious for INEC’s official declaration of the winner of the Governorship Election concluded today. Although, the PDP and its candidate, Ademola Adeleke have already conceded.