The State of Osun Resident Electoral Commission, Mr Olusegun Agbaje in his post-election retreat held at the Commission’s Media Office in Osogbo on Monday gave reasons why elections are declared inconclusive.
In a speech delivered at the retreat made available to SOJ WORLDWIDE Online News, he said other reasons that could mar electoral credibility are the inducement of voters with cash and ballot snatching by political thugs.
“The way and manner violence were unleashed by the political thugs in some areas during the election leave much to be desired. For instance, the violent disruption of polls by some armed hoodlums who chased away electoral officials and disallowed poll from taking place at Polling Units, 002, 003 and 004 in Apoti/Dangbaja Oriade LGA injuring one NYSC Corps member in the process and rendering the election in Oriade State Constituency inconclusive as the total number of the registered voters in the five (5) Polling Units was more than the margin of lead.”
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“The Commission does not deliberately declare an election inconclusive as usually and wrongly perceived by some members of the public whenever it happens. It is those who engage in disenfranchising voters as part of their win at all costs strategy that should be blamed. If political thugs did not disrupt polls in the five P.Us of Oriade State Constituency mentioned above, the Commission would not have declared the election inconclusive.
“For the avoidance of doubt, an election can only be declared inconclusive when the number of registered voters in the polling units where polls are cancelled due to irregularities during the election is more than the margin of lead between the leading candidate and the first runner up.
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“In such circumstance, it is fair to give the electorate, in the Polling Units where polls are cancelled due to irregularities the opportunity to cast their votes in a supplementary election as it could alter the outcome of the election.”
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Agbaje also cited another worrisome challenge facing the commission as the “monstrous phenomenon of vote buying.” This he said with the collaboration of the security agencies in Osun, the issue of vote buying is being curtailed.
Mr Agbaje advised the politicians to stop inducing voters with money to strengthen the credibility of the electoral process.
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He also said the use of thugs to disrupt elections should be stopped forthwith to avoid rendering elections inconclusive.
www.sojworld.com (c) June 17, 2019
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