Media organisations covering the Osun State Governorship election slated to hold today, September 22nd have been charged not to report election results until the Independent National Electoral Commission does.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun, Segun Agbaje, gave this charge while addressing journalists at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo on Friday.
Agbaje said journalists would be compromising the credibility of the election by reporting unsubstantiated results stressing that media platforms should not be in a hurry to declare the results.
Announcing voting process, Agbaje said that, accreditation and voting will go on simultaneously between 8:00am and 2:00 pm, today during the election while”only those on queue at 2pm will be allowed to vote.
According to him, the electoral body has released phone numbers for complaints of any kind by the electorates, media and the general public in the Saturday governorship election in Osun state.
The state INEC boss said, the situation room of the commission will be receiving complaints through 08168963080, 07057789656 and 07086575910.
He assured that the smart card readers have been enhanced for optimal performance and 996 have been reserved to serve as backups.
“Out of 1,246,915 registered voters, a total of 435,015 PVCs, that is 25.86 percent, are yet to be collected by their owners and are being kept in the INEC strong room at the state office here in Osogbo.
“The commission has no plan whatsoever to give the uncollected PVCs to any political party. The Commission’s Smart Card Readers are not also designed to favour any political party. I therefore strongly advice all stakeholders in the Osun state governorship election, especially the political parties’ leaders and contestants, to desist from making unguarded utterances and unfounded allegations.
“It should be noted that the commission has perfected plans with the security agencies to decisively deal with anyone engaging in any illicit act, particularly the notorious act of ‘see and buy’ as it is called in the local parlance during the election.
Agbaje thereafter warned politicians to desist from misleading the public, saying that the commission has kept all uncollected PVCs in its strong room.
He however assured people of the state of its readiness to conduct free, fair and credible election that will be acceptable to the people revealing that,sensitive materials have been moved from CBN to all the 30 local government areas of the state.
Agbaje reiterated that electorate should not go into the voting cubicles with their phones and other gadgets but could come to the polling units with their phones.
He debunked speculation that card readers have been designed to favour some political parties.
The REC said the electoral umpire would deal with anyone engaging in vote buying or selling in accordance with the electoral Acts.
He said electoral offenders risk between 6 and 12 months imprisonment or payment of fine if convicted.
He advised journalists to ensure investigations of allegations before publishing them.
Meanwhile, the European Union, United States of America and the British government have expressed their commitment to credible elections in Nigeria.
At a joint press briefing addressed by European Ambassador to Nigeria, Ketil Karlsen in Osogbo, the trio said they have seen improvement in the Independent National Electoral Commission performance over time.
According to them, they are supporting INEC, all political parties security agencies, the National Assembly and other stakeholders to ensure credible election becomes the order of the day in Nigeria.
Read also: CPM to Osun voters: Shun vote buying and rigging
Karlsen called on the electorate in Osun to come out enmass today to exercise their voting rights and also enjoined the political parties to play the game according to the rule.
The EU boss disclosed that 28 diplomatic observers from countries across European Union are taking part in election monitoring adding that European Union has no preferential party or candidate.
He insisted that the European Union, the United States of America and the British government are out to ensure credible electoral process where all eligible voters will exercise their voting rights without intimidation.
He said that they would be out to see how INEC learns from past mistakes, the conduct of security personnel and watch out for vote buying, a syndrome he described as unacceptable to international community.
