• INEC ballot papers

INEC has reassured political parties, civil society organisations, media and the good people of Osun State of its total readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna , gave the assurance , yesterday, disclosing that the ballot papers and result sheets have arrived in Osogbo, the state capital.

They were sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office, from where they will be distributed to other parts of the state.

The ballot papers and result sheets were reprinted following a court judgment which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to put the name of the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot.

With this addition, 15 candidates are now in the race.

The election will hold in 332 wards spread across 30 local government areas, “ he said.

• Osun governorship candidates

President Bola Tinubu has call out to the people of the state to go out on Saturday and vote the candidates of their choice without fear of molestation by political thugs.

President Tinubu also enjoined all political stakeholders to desist from violence, intimidation, and harassment, and embrace peace before, during, and after the governorship election.

The president spoke through the Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the grand finale of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign.

Akpabio assured that the government had put in place enough security measures to ensure free, fair, and credible election tomorrow.

“Let me assure all Osun indigenes that adequate security have been provided all over the state to ensure people come out to cast their votes for the candidate of their choice without any fear or intimidation,” he said.

Recall that as part of efforts to ensure security during the Osun State election, Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, announced the prohibition of state government-established security outfits, quasi-security groups, and private security organisations from participating in election-security duties.

The national leadership of Accord has dismissed its expelled former 2023 presidential candidate, Chris Imumolen’s support for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiyi for the Osun State governorship election, stating that Imumolen has no electoral value to influence any election in the country.

In a press statement signed by Chief Maxwell Mgbudem esq National Chairman, Accord, the party described that Imumolen is a political hireling and hustler seeking stomach infrastructure and has no political structure that will favour his preferred candidate in the election.

That Imumolen attended the APC rally in Osogbo where he backed its candidate is a glaring testament that he is not a member of Accord and does not represent the party in any capacity.

The purported appellation, “factional chairman” of Accord is not only mischievous, it is a delusion of the grandeur that exists in his fertile imagination as the party has no faction.

Osun State is an Accord stronghold, the people are in one accord with Governor Ademola Adeleke and will overwhelmingly vote for the party on Saturday, August 15.

It is obvious that Accord will secure a landslide victory in this election that will further consolidate the party in the state and improve the delivery of democracy dividends to the people.

It is the fear of its worst electoral defeat that APC resorted to violence, harassment, intimidation and the use of federal Institutions particularly, the police and the EFCC to suppress the Government and people of Osun State including Accord members hoping to compromise the election in favour of the APC.

The good people of Osun remain resolute, firm and steadfast in their support for Accord and their governor.

The party urges INEC to be neutral and conduct a credible election, and also urges security agencies to be impartial and professional in the discharge of their statutory responsibilities.

Accord calls on the international community particularly, the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Africa Union, ECOWAS, United States of America and United Kingdom to strictly monitor the election and sanction anyone found wanting.

The party is set and ready for the governorship election and expresses confidence to win banking on Governor Adeleke’s achievements and transformational leadership in the state.

Let the Osun State governorship election set a new national standard in the conduct of elections in Nigeria.