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Nigerians vote to elect governor of key southwest state
OSOGBO, Nigeria, Sept 22, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Voters in the southwestern
Nigerian state of Osun went to the polls on Saturday to elect a new governor
amid growing concerns about free and fair voting, six months ahead of a
presidential election.
The Osun vote is seen as a litmus test for President Muhammadu Buhari’s
popularity as he seeks a second term in February.
The 75-year-old retired general who led a military regime in the 1980s was
elected in 2015.
Voting opened in most polling booths in Osun around 8.00 am (0700 GMT) with
long queues of voters in Osogbo, the state capital, and other towns and
villages across the state.
“You can see that people are already exercising their civic
responsibility,” electoral official Sodipo Oladapo told AFP in the capital.
“All those on the queue will be accredited and allowed to vote until 2:00
pm when the exercise will end,” he said.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC), 1.2
million voters are eligible to vote for the candidates of 48 political
parties participating in Saturday’s vote.
Osun is part of Nigeria’s southwest which includes the economic capital
Lagos and a region crucial to Buhari’s re-election as he faces a formidable
challenge from an array of high-profile opposition candidates.
The leading candidates jostling for the Osun governor’s seat include
Gboyega Oyetola of Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ademola
Adeleke, nicknamed “the dancing senator” because of his penchant for dancing
in public.
– ‘Votes for peanuts’ –
Adeleke is the candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP).
He is also an uncle of Nigerian Afropop star Davido, whose real name is
David Adedeji, and from a wealthy and political family in Ede. Both were to
vote in the town, some 20 kilometres from the state capital.
MORE/MR/ 1420 hrs
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The winner of the election will replace APC Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who
is stepping down after two four-year terms, the legal maximum.
Osun INEC chief Olusegun Agbaje said voting materials and personnel had
been distributed to all the 30 local government areas for a “hitch-free
exercise” and security provided for election officials, materials and voters
was adequate.
He urged voters to come out and avoid any form of financial inducement.
“The commission has done a lot to put things in place. People should be
free to exercise their franchise. Any act of vote-buying will be met with the
appropriate sanctions,” he said, adding that offenders risked up to one year
in jail.
National deputy police chief Habila Joshak said some 18,500 police, plus
equipment, had been deployed to prevent irregularities.
“We have enough men on ground to deal with those willing to sell their
votes for peanuts,” he warned.
Local and foreign observers are monioring the vote and have also raised
concerns about inducement.
The last gubernatorial vote in the southwestern state of Ekiti in July led
to widespread concerns about vote-buying by the leading political parties.
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room coalition of civic groups said on
Friday its monitors were already in Osun to ensure a hitch-free and credible
vote.
“We urge INEC to implement the laws on vote-buying,” by punishing
offenders, said its leader Clement Nwankwo.
The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), an election lobby body, said it had
information that politicians were doling out gifts, cash and food ahead of
the vote, describing the trend as “inimical to the credibility of the
electoral process”.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1420 hrs