Certificate Of Return: Aregbesola Dedicates Victory To Osun People

..advises security agents to disobey future orders that are inimical to democracy

Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Tuesday evening dedicated his certificate of return to the entire people of the state for their steadfastness and unflinching support in voting for the continuation of his government.

Aregbesola made the dedication in his remark at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Headquarters in Osogbo‎, shortly after the presentation of the certificate of return to him by the supervising National Commissioner, Ambassador Mohammad Wali.

He commended INEC for conducting a largely free and fair election which he scored as high as 75 percent in performance.

Aregbesola however advised INEC to guard jealously vital electoral materials against being tampered with.

According to the governor, “I want to advise INEC to take seriously the security of election materials, they should be extra vigilant with the materials they used in election, we appeal to you to be alert and more determined to secure materials to avoid compromised staff to tamper with the materials.

“I also want to commend other contestants who enriched the country’s democratic process, they must all come to us on how we can move forward our state. For those who are embittered, we are in no way inducing them ‎not to chart the legal way to redress.

“We must add that while they are seeking redress in court, they can still join us on how we can give meaningful life to our people”. The governor stressed.

Aregbesola averred that no democratic mandate is inferior to the other, noting that for democracy to be meaningful, whatever honour gi‎ven to the president must be extended to anyone that is democratically elected.

On the conduct of the troops drafted to the state, Aregbesola lamented that some of them acted in manner completely contrary to the nation’s constitution by turning themselves into a terror gang shortly before and during the conduct of the election.

He condemned in strong terms harassment, intimidation and arbitrary arrest of member, supporters and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress on the eve of the and the day of election.

He advised the security agencies to always sieve between genuine and wrong order so as to know which one to carry our and one to turn down.

Aregbesola continued: “I must commend the security agencies for their commitment to making the election a huge success and violence-free.

“However, one must not fail to mention the overzelousness of few of the security agencies, who in the name of obeying orders, ran riot and clamped down on innocent chieftains, members and supporter of our party.

“As security personnel, you constitutional role is to maintain law and order as well as protect the people of Nigerian.

“It is therefore criminal of any law enforcement agent to molest, harass or intimidate innocent people let alone killing a Nigerian.

“You must from now on develop the attitude of resisting wrong orders, which is antithetical to what constitution permits.

“Any order that is giving and which is not supported by the constitution is inimical to good governance and the rule of law.

“Therefore, whatever order that violates the constitution of Nigeria is criminal.”

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of Osun, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje charged the governor to be magnanimous in victory for the benefit if the state and it’s people.

Agbaje described the August 9 election as one in which INEC was determined more than before to conduct a free, fair and credible election, saying INEC stands tall with the way the election had gone in Osun.

He admitted that the election was not completely smooth because political leaders were not to careful in their utterances, which unnecessarily heated up the polity before the election proper.

He said: “We at INEC by the judgement of international communities and observers are pleased that the Osun election is adjudged as the best in the country, though it was not completely smooth, utterances that over heated the polity among other allegations against INEC.

“Not bordered on these, the commission focused on conducting ‎a free, fair and credible election, we ensure that the distribution of election materials were done without any hiccup, so also voting and accreditation were done without any hitch.

“We will continue to do everything possible to make INEC one of the best in the world. Political leaders must shun all election vices, they must educate their people against this, there is a pressing need for unity among political leaders and others”. The Commissioner pointed out.

He commended the people of Osun for coming out enmasse to vote for their candidate which lend credence to what INEC has stressed on people’s votes will represent the outcome of election.