LP calls for cancellation of election
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has commended the people of the State for the orderly manner they conducted themselves during the local government election in the State.
The governor gave the commendation on Saturday while fielding questions from newsmen after voting at Ita-Osanyin Unit 2, Ward 3, Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the State.
Abiodun who arrived at the polling booth at 11:10 am and voted at 11:22 am, noted that the peaceful atmosphere across the State is an indication that the people are ready to elect the candidate of their choice.
The governor said: “I want to thank the good people of Ogun State who have come out in their numbers to express themselves through the ballots. I see this as a vote of confidence, particularly at this time.
“I am confident that when the elections are concluded and the people have expressed their choice through the ballot everybody will be happy.”
He acknowledged some hiccups in the process, but expressed confident in the ability of the State Independent Electoral Commission to surmount it.
Abiodun added: “I want to appreciate the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) for the level of preparedness for this election. The feedback I have gotten is that they are very thorough and they have been very diligent.
“In any election, you cannot rule out some logistical hiccups but by and large, I have been informed that that is over now and electoral materials have reached all polling booths in the State and the process of voting has commenced in earnest.”
The governor commended men and women of the law enforcement agencies for working collaboratively to ensure a peaceful election in the State.
Governor Abiodun lauded the media for giving adequate coverage to the processes leading to the election and pleaded with them to be objective in their reportage to avoid confusion and disaffection, adding that “when there is no misinformation, there will be no confusion.”
Meanwhile, there was very impressive turn out in Sagamu and Ikenne Local Governments as voters were seen trooping to their various polling units to cast their ballots.
An election observer from Advocacy for Social Justice & Liberty, Charles Odunuga, commended the electoral body for what he termed decent and well organized process.
He, therefore, urged the electorate to maintain the peace till the end of the exercise, adding that peaceful environment plays pivotal role in strengthening democracy.
Also, a voter in Sagamu, Pastor Sola Komolafe, eulogised the proactiveness of the electoral commission and level of preparedness, including level-playing ground for opposition parties to thrive.
In the same vein, Mrs Kafilat Sokoya, another voter in Grammar School area of Ikenne, described the process across the town as peaceful and orderly, as she advised voters to shun inducement and act of violence.
The election was also peaceful, particularly in the Abeokuta South and Abeokuta North Local Governments.
A visit to various locations within the two local governments revealed a calm environment.
Heavy presence of security personnel, including the police, army, Amotekun and the NSCDC was observed at most places to keep the peace.
At numerous polling stations, voters were seen behaving appropriately and patiently awaiting their turn to cast their ballots, as the necessary electoral materials had been delivered.
However, the State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has described the local government poll as a charade and thereby called for the cancellation of the election.
Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, the State LP Chairman, Engr. Lookman Jagun, said “what took place in Ogun state today falls short of the minimum standard required for the conduct of an election, saying that there was no election whatsoever in the whole of Ogun state.
“The good people of Ogun state were deliberately disenfranchised and prevented from using their votes to express their dissatisfaction with the failure of governance in the state”.
“There was no election whatsoever in virtually all the polling units in Ogun state. OGSIEC officials were no where to be seen in over ninety percent of the Polling Units and there were no election materials at the Polling Units as at 1.30pm. In the few Polling Units where election materials were delivered, the materials were incomplete and were delivered around 1pm, as against 8am when the election was supposed to start”.
“More worrisome is the fact that our teeming supporters, made up of youths, old men and women, came out in their numbers to exercise their democratic rights. They waited endlessly for the arrival of OGSIEC officials and the election materials, which never came. In the few places where the materials were delivered, our supporters were chased away from the polling units and those who stood their grounds were beaten and brutalised”.
“We totally reject whatever results that are declared in this sham of an election. Even the good people of Ogun state have been expressing their opinions on radio and television that there was no election in Ogun state”.
The party called on OGSIEC to cancel the entire election for being in clear violation of the electoral guidelines of Ogun state electoral law.
“If they fail to do this, we will reject any results that is announced and put the necessary machinery in motion to challenge this charade in Court”.
Vanguard News
