Osun Rerun Marked By ‘Interference And Intimidation,’ US, EU, UK Declare

The Osun governorship rerun election was characterized by “interference and intimidation of voters,” the joint missions of the United States, European Union and the United Kingdom have said.

In the rerun election which held on Thursday, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC announced late Thursday that Oyetola defeated Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by polling 255,505 votes against the latter who got 255,023 votes.

Reacting to the outcome of the election, the joint US, EU and UK missions said in a press briefing that they also witnessed harassment of party agents and journalists during the rerun election.

“The missions of the United States, European Union and the United Kingdom observed voting at polling stations in Osun today (Thursday),” said US Consul General, John F. Bray.

Bray said, “We witnessed what appeared to be incidents of interference and intimidation of voters and have reports of harassment of party monitors, journalists and domestic observers.

“We are very concerned by these reports and we will be checking with stakeholders to determine the facts. We call on all stakeholders to remain calm,” said the US Consul General.

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the PDP has rejected INEC’s declaration of the candidate of the APC as winner of the Osun poll.

The opposition party’s chairman, Uche Secondus, said the country’s democracy “is bleak and the nation sliding into crisis.”

Secondus said in a press statement, “What we have witnessed in Osun shows clearly that the All Progressives Congress is not ready for an election and we are afraid that President Muhammadu Buhari will not hand over if he loses the election next year.

“Today, we are all aware of the rerun election in Osun State as we address the press conference. We, the members of the National Working Committee, have reviewed what has happened from the distribution of materials to the actual voting in some of the units and wards.

“We found that Osun is under siege. Therefore, today is a black day for Nigeria.

“We would think that it is a state or some units, but if you look at what has transpired so far from Ekiti to Osun State, Nigerians are groaning in pains especially the Osun people.

“The right of the citizens to be able to come out and vote had been trampled upon and the entire state and the wards and units have been seized by the security agencies who were acting on behalf of the APC to make sure the election is rigged by all means.

“We are sad that if this is what is going to take place in 2019, then the future of Nigeria’s democracy is bleak and we are sliding into crisis,” said the PDP National Chairman.