The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it is worried by the deployment of armed security men and women to Osun State as part of preparations ahead of the governorship election scheduled to hold this Saturday across the state.

The union, in a statement by its president, Comrade Abduwahed Omar, said it believes this cannot be helpful to the growth of any democratic culture as it portends an infringement on the rights of the electorate who may refuse to participate in the election as a result of the intimidating presence of armed security agents.

“More worrisome is the reported shootings across the state capital by officers of the State Security Service (SSS) shortly after arriving the state for election-related duties. We wonder why the SSS had to waste bullets shooting sporadically to scare residents who were not engaged in any form of violence at the time of the shootings,” the union stated.

It stressed that inasmuch as elections are very important to any democracy, “we caution that the state should not be turned into a war”.

LEADERSHIP

Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, yesterday disclosed that two of the candidates for today’s governorship election have quit the race.
Agbaje, who disclosed this in an interview with our reporter in Osogbo yesterday, did not however disclose the identities of the candidates and their parties.
But he said that their decision to quit the race so late amounted to a contravention of the electoral law which stipulates that a candidate cannot pull out less than 25 days to the election.
“What they have done is that they would waste the votes of their supporters who would vote for them,” he said.
Agbaje, however, assured that today’s governorship election will be free and fair, adding that the commissioner had spared no efforts in ensuring a credible free and fair election.
He said that all electoral materials had been distributed and secured while every necessary operation had been carried out to ensure a hitch-free election.
He said: “I want to assure everybody that INEC will be transparent throughout the conduct of the election. We are prepared. Everything is set. We plead with the electorate to go about their voting without fear. We are neutral. INEC has no party or candidate, so we cannot dictate to anyone.
“The people should come out and vote for the candidate of their choice. After the election, we call on both winner and losers to be magnanimous in whatever they do.”
THE NATION

Lawyer and for­mer Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Muiz Banire, has dis­agreed with the Chair­man of the Independent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega over his claim that taking photo­graph of ballot papers by voters is illegal.

The INEC chairman, at an interactive session of political stakeholders ahead of the governor­ship election in Osogbo on Wednesday, said any attempt to snap ballot pa­pers would be in violation of Section 25(1,2,3,4) of the Electoral Act, and at­tracts a six month jail term if caught or N100, 000 or both.

This came on the heels of the directive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to its supporters to copy the numbers of the ballot papers and take pho­tographs after thumb print­ing in today’s governorship election.

The APC, during its final rally on Tuesday encour­aged voters to record the serial number of the ballot paper and use their phones to take a shot of the paper before leaving the poling unit. The party believes that the action would be a proactive measure to checking any attempt to rig the election.

Reacting to the issue, Banire advised Jega to seek a legal interpretation of the electoral act, which is supposed to serve as a guide. “ He goofed. The very section of the elector­al act specially said that it is illegal to take the photo­graph of another person. If an individual feels that his vote will be compromised, that person is allowed to take a photograph of his or her ballot paper. He should learn to consult profes­sional before interpreting the law.”

Also reacting to the statement, the Coalition Against Corrupt Lead­ers (CACOL), through its executive chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran argued that snapping of ballot paper by individual voter should not violate the secrecy of the election.

He said, “Everybody should be free to snap his own ballot paper. That shouldn’t constitute a crime. Taking photograph of your own ballot should not violate its secrecy.”

“If INEC doesn’t have anything to hide, they shouldn’t bar people from taking photographs.  That would increase transpar­ency. The ballot paper is the constitutional property of every voter, so should be allowed to snap his bal­lot, if he so wishes. It only becomes an offence if you attempt to take the pho­tograph of other people’s ballot papers.

“ We are also lending our voice that the new IGP should not use Osun elec­tion as a payback of his appointment because there have been feelers from some quarters that the new IGP may be used to rig Osun election in favour of the ruling party. President Goodluck Jonathan should stay true to his word and should be seen to be fair.”

SUNNEWS

Civil rights activist Comrade Shehu Sani, yesterday warned against rigging in today’s Governorship Election in Osun State.
He also urged resistance to coercion and brigandage in the state.
Sani, in a statement ahead of the election condemned the use of troops to intimidate voters,warning: “The Osun state Gubernatorial elections must not be rigged.”
“The massive deployment of troops and the gale of arrest of APC chieftains in the state stands condemned. The people of Osun and indeed all the people of Nigeria must stand firm in the defence of free,transparent and fair elections in Osun,” he said.
Any attempt to rig the election,he stressed would amount to a declaration of war against all Nigerians and a deliberate mutilation of the 1999.
He added: “Ekiti must not repeat itself in Osun.The use of heavily armed troops by the Federal Government is aimed at intimidating the voters of Osun just as it was done in Ekiti. Nigerians must resist coercion and brigandage.
“We fought military dictatorship to a stand still we can together defeat the misuse of armed troops to rig elections.
“The resort of the ruling PDP and their dogs to use the presence of soldiers to win elections is a testimony to their unpopularity. PDP believes and depends on physical force to win elections.
“Injustice and evil flourishes when it’s not resisted at its budding stage.osun elections will determine the sanity, orderliness or otherwise of the 2015 general elections. All Nigerians must be interested on what is happening in Osun.
“The future of our country is bleak under reactionary and retrogressive forces whose mission in power is lining their pockets with public funds. Genuine democratic forces must be supported in all respect.
“If we allow guns and boots to determine the results of our elections,guns and boots will decide the fate of our democracy.”
THE NATION

The immediate past governor of Benue State,Senator George Akume yesterday likened the preparation of the PDP for today’s governorship election in Osun State to executing a civilian coup.
Citing the militarization of the state and alleged coercion of the electorate by the PDP ahead of the election,Senator Akume asked election observers, civil society organisations and the international community to prevail on  President Goodluck Jonathan to avail the Osun people “a civil enabling environment to perform their constitutional duty of electing their governor.”
The senate minority leader ,in a statement yesterday said: ”This culture is both undemocratic and antithetical. It is even unsustainable.
That it worked for PDP in the Ekiti does not mean it will work in Osun state whose level of citizens’ vigilance is above par.”
The APC chieftain said that the soldiers deployed to Osun State would serve Nigeria better by rescuing “our abducted daughters and restore our territorial integrity by chasing out the criminal insurgents North East of Nigeria.”
He pointed out that while the APC has been campaigning and mobilizing the electorate to come out and vote, the PDP “ is busy celebrating that with the arrival of the military, their victory is assured. The PDP is threatening the electorate who will dare to come out and exercise their civic responsibility, with arrest.”
Akume added: “Democracy is defined as government of the people, for the people and by the people. This means everything should be done to encourage people participation in elections.
Elections are also said to be free, fair and credible when  citizens are allowed free will of franchise.
“Deployment of heavy security with frequent muscling of the people during electioneering or actual vote cannot by any cannon of interpretation approximate to free poll. There are already reports of selective arrests and detention of APC members assigned critical roles on election day.”
THE NATION

Tension remained very high for most of yesterday through out Osun State as the two leading candidates in today’s gubernatorial election, incumbent governor Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress and Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party made discreet last minutes moves to woo voters.
Security was tight across the state as tough-looking soldiers, policemen and Department of State Security personnel were seen patrolling major streets.
About 73,000 security operatives including 15,000 soldiers, 30,000 policemen, 8,000 DSS operatives and 20,000 civil defence “personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order during election.
Source said men of the anti-terrorism squad are part of those drafted to the state and “are already searching for dangerous weapons including improvised explosive devices.
Today’s election is expected to be a straight fight between Aregbesola and Omisore. While Aregbesola will be banking on the incumbency factor and his record of achievements in the last three and half years, Omisore will benefit largely from being the candidate of the ruling party at the national level and the “federal might” that comes with it.
However, Omisore’s tainted past, particularly his alleged role in the death of Chief Bola Ige “may work against him.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command has announced a 24-hours curfew in the state.
The state’s supervising commissioner of police, Mr. Augustine Evbakhabokun said this was done to guide against intruders, thugs and other electoral violators who might want to hijack the election for their own interest.
While addressing the press in Osogbo yesterday, Evbakhabokun directed that no politicians, no matter his or her position must be seen with police orderly during the election.”
Evbakhabokun added that nobody would be allowed to carry fireman to the polling poll, stressing that violator of the electoral law will not be speared.
He urged politicians to play the game according to the rules and regulation guiding the electoral law.
He warned “all trouble makers” to relocate from the state in their own interest, saying those caught violating the law will face the music.
The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sulaiman Abba had earlier warned that trouble -makers caught during the election would face the wrath of the law.
Abba assured that adequate security would be provided for electorates, electoral officers and stakeholders before, during and after the poll adding that the Police was prepared to check any break- down of law and order.
The Police boss equally noted that nobody would be allowed to intimidate voters and warned political thugs and their sponsors to beware as the police are fully ready to protect lives and properties of the citizens.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega yesterday re-affirmed that the commission would ensure that the election in Osun is transparent, fair, free, credible and acceptable nationwide.
Jega said: “The commission remains focused and firm in conducting a credible poll in Osun State that will show the entire world that Nigeria can handle her internal democracy for others to copy.”
He urged all the candidates to refrain from lawlessness and promised that security men would not molest, harass or intimidate eligible voters during the election.
Also yesterday, INEC released an information kit on  today’s election ‘which shows a total of 1,407, 222 valid number of voters (post-March 2014 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR)).
The Osun State REC disclosed that 10,432 Ad hoc staff had been recruited for the election.
Agbaje said that three security agents would man a polling unit, while the whole local government councils would be secured through coordinated motorized patrols to forestall any breakdown of law and order by unscrupulous elements.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun yesterday alleged that the party had uncovered what he termed “PDP’s manual plan to rig governorship election in Osun State.”
Oyegun, at a press conference in Osogbo yesterday alleged that the manual had been completed with projected fake results in all the 30 local government areas of the state.
He said that the rigging plans were contained in two documents prepared by the PDP in Osun, “which are now in the possession of the APC.”
THISDAY

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The Osun State Government has declared today (Friday), August 8, 2014 as public holiday to allow voters living within and outside the state capital to travel to their various towns ahead of Saturday’s governorship poll.

A statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Sunday Akere, said the holiday is to enable residents and civil servants, who would be travelling to different parts of the state to perform their civic duties, have enough time to travel without hitches.

He charged electorate in the state to conduct themselves peacefully while travelling to their destinations and at their various polling units during the poll on Saturday.

The commissioner counsel members of the public not to panic with the heavy presence of security operatives in the state, saying they are in the state to ensure their safety and credibility of the election on Saturday.

He added that the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is committed to security of lives and properties of the teeming populace in the state at all times, saying Saturday would not be an exception.

Akere appealed to the people of the state to troop out en mass to exercise their franchise on Saturday without fear of being intimidated by anyone.

In the same vein, the state government has instructed all OYES cadets across the state not to wear their uniform to the polling units. It also called on security agents to arrest anybody found wearing the uniform, as they will likely be nothing but fake cadets.

DAILY INDEPENDENT

BEING A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY ALL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION IN THE STATE OF OSUN, COMPRISING THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS, JOINT CAMPUS COMMITTEE (NANS/JCC), NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF OSUN STATE STUDENTS (NAOSS), AND ALL THE STUDENT UNIONS IN THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE OF OSUN ON THE FORTH COMING AUGUST 9 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION

Gentle men of the press, we thank you for your support in covering our mass rally, from Old garage Osogbo, state capital, state of Osun, we considered this as a generational responsibility and a bold step to sustain our democracy, all what we are asking for is one man one vote and that the sanity of our system must be protected through a free, fair and credible election, that will devoid all method of manipulation, we have heard  of many new rigging inventions, Zimbabwe option, fading, coding of ballot papers and all other forms of rigging method, the students in the state will not allow any form of rigging and will not accept any result which does not reflects the wish of the people.

We are also against militarization and all other form of security harassment that will suppress the popular participation of the people in the coming election. We are deeply concern as stakeholders because whatever decision people will take in August 9 will also affects our various institutions and future of education sector in the state, it is a decision about our life, our future and survival, therefore, credible election in Osun is not negotiable as posited in our leaflets circulated during the mass rally.

Another very important issue we also intend to address here today is a misrepresentation, malicious and false claim by some unscrupulous   students who are impersonating as the students leaders in the state,

We are compelled by the student populace to clear the air on this falsification of the peoples consent and misrepresentation of facts.

Very early Saturday morning, our attention was drawn to a publication in the Saturday Punch Newspaper (August 2) titled “Student Deny Endorsing Aregbesola” where some unidentified students were reported to have denounced the endorsement of the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola by the student populace.

For the avoidance of doubt, there is no students association in Osun today bearing Osun State Students Association as claimed by the unidentified students that the story was credited to and at no time did our Students Union Presidents  from Osun State Polytechnic, Adetunji Peter Oluwaseyi, Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Bashir Saheed; Students’ Union, President, Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, Abiodun Saheed signed or gave their consent on any statement denouncing the endorsement of Aregbesola. Those names were only included to give legitimacy to their illegal student organizations.

We want to state categorically that the above mentioned Students Union Presidents had no knowledge of the purported statement and we want the members of the public to know that it is a ploy by some politician to divide the students. The affected presidents are here today to tell the world that they knew nothing about the fake statement.

Since the creation of the this state, the only indigenous student body is National Association of Osun State Students ( NAOS) currently led by Ojo Omowaye as President. As we all know, NANS/ JCC Osun Axis is currently led by Awowole Samuel, as Chairman. This is the only structure legally reorganized as interface between institutions under the national structure of NANS.

Osun student however rejects and dismiss the report in its entirety  and affirm that our union president were not party to such ridiculous claim, It is our believe that there is no reason whatsoever for the students in Osun not to support the second term ambition of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, first, as a leading light in the student revolutionary struggle against military and tyranny in 70s, as symbol of development and good governance who has been tested and trusted  and secured the confidence of the mass through honesty, transparency and unusual courage to make life more abundant for the people.

This is a man that beyond the imagination of many  has democratize education that the ruling class has turned to the exclusive right of the rich within 3 years through the 50% reduction in tuitions in the state owned tertiary institutions, increment of bursary allowance from the ridiculous N3,000 to N10,000, Law and Medical Students from N10,000 to N100,000, increment in the subvention in public schools, and the school feeding and health programme for the school children at the elementary level coupled with massive infrastructural development in the educational sector and many more.  These developmental projects and other revolutionary ties informed our support for Aregbesola

For clarity, Performance and development was the basis of our relationship and support for Aregbesola second term, that is why we participated in a rally organized by some youths and students organizations to rally support for the governor Aregbesola last week, and we stand by that support . This support is very important for Aregbesola not only as a product of our revolutionary extraction with the  same ideological  tie , but as a leader who has demonstrated uncommon political will to selvage education.

We must state here that it is not that we don’t have disagreement with the governor in the past or our support is the termination of any future radical and conscious engagement with the government, it will never, because the previous engagements was never about individual it is about the system and very confident to say that so far so good there are unprecedented, rapid and radical improvement in the system. Therefore we must not be blindfolded in playing our crucial role to eliminate opportunism, mediocrity and reactionary in the supreme reign of power. This is where we stand.

YNAIJA

Photos of the Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola  acknowledging cheers from his Supporters, during the 16th Edition of the Walk to Live Exercise in Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 07-08-2014

Supporters of Governor Rauf Aregbesola participating in the 16th Edition of the Walk to Live Exercise in Osogbo. Insert: From left, Acting Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun Chapter, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi; Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his Wife, Sherifat and others, on Thursday 07-08-2014

Supporters of Governor Rauf Aregbesola participating in the 16th Edition of the Walk to Live Exercise in Osogbo. Insert: From left, Acting Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun Chapter, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi; Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his Wife, Sherifat and others, on Thursday 07-08-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed) acknowledging cheers from his Supporters, during the 16th Edition of the Walk to Live Exercise in Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 07-08-2014

From left, Acting Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun Chapter, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi; Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his Wife, Sherifat and others, during the 16th Edition of the Walk to Live Exercise in Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 07-08-2014