NIGERIA: APC's Aregbesola Defeats PDP's Omisore in Osun State Governorship Election
After the momentum of Ekiti, the All Progressives Congress seems to have gotten its act together and devised appropriate strategies to keep ...
http://www.africaeagle.com/2014/08/nigeria-apcs-aregbesola-defeats-pdps.html
After the momentum of Ekiti, the All Progressives Congress seems to have gotten its act together and devised appropriate strategies to keep the Peoples Democratic Party in check in the South-west.
This much was evident at the governorship election in Osun State Saturday, when the APC candidate and incumbent governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, coasted home by a very comfortable margin to win a second four-year term. He beat his main opponent, Senator Iyola Omisore of PDP, by 394, 684 votes to 292, 747 votes.
The election, which was contested by 20 candidates, was peaceful and largely devoid of incident.
Aregbesola had held the lead early in many local government areas as the results of the governorship election came in from the various polling units. But his main challenger, Omisore, was trailing in many of the early results.
Many PDP leaders in the state also failed to deliver victory at their polling units. In APC, former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who only on Tuesday defected from PDP to APC, lost his polling unit to his former party.
In the final result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission and announced by the state’s returning officer, Professor Bantale Omolere, about 5:30am today, the incumbent governor won in 22 local government areas, while Omisore led in eight local councils. Aregbesola carried the day in nearly all the local government areas in his native Ilesha axis, and Omisore led in the councils in the Ife area.
But Omisore alleged in a statement that Aregbesola had breached the provisions of the Electoral Act by “declaring his own version of the results without recourse to INEC.”
Prominent PDP leaders in the state who lost their polling units to APC included Omisore’s running mate, Adejare Bello; PDP state chairman, Gani Olaoluwa; and former defence minister Erelu Obada.
Aregbesola, who was accredited for the vote about 10.45am at Unit 1, Ward 8, Ifofin, Ilesa, along with his wife, Sherifat, and two sons, told newsmen that he was pleased with the conduct of the election. He urged the people to maintain the peace in the state, warning that those who may attempt to disrupt the democratic process will suffer harsh consequences.
“They will have themselves to blame if they scuttle the democracy,” the governor said.
He stressed, “You can see people patriotism and commitment to democracy. If they can be 20 per cent committed like the ordinary people, the nation would have been the best for it. What they are doing by picking our chieftains and members is barbaric. They have been arresting, harassing and molesting our people for no just reason. The democracy is about making your choice freely without being hounded.” It was in reference to an alleged arrest of APC leaders by the federal security forces since the eve of the election.
There was an impressive turnout of voters across the state for the election, which commenced on time at most polling units.
According to the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, polling units open at 8am for accreditation and close at 12 noon. Voting starts 12:30pm.
Omisore voted at Unit 13, Ile-Ife, about 12: 58pm. He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the poll. Voting closed in many places about 5pm.
There was a heavy presence of security personnel, including soldiers, across the state during the election. Many residents of the state, especially in Osogbo, who spoke with reporters said the security operatives were largely civil.
Though, APC alleged that some of its members had been arrested by the security operatives.
APC said its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was arrested by security agents in Osogbo on the eve of the election. His personal assistant, Mr. Williams Adeleye, said in a statement that Mohammed was picked up along with the media aide to the APC national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Sunday Dare, and the deputy chief of staff to the governor of Ogun State Governor, Mr. Salisu.
The statement said they were arrested by a team of soldiers and operatives of the Directorate of State Security Service while they were heading to the Government House, Osogbo, and taken to an unknown destination in an unmarked truck.
APC said the arrests were the latest in a series of clampdown targeting opposition leaders and members ahead of the governorship poll. Aregbesola said the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adewale Afolabi, and the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Wale Adedoyin, were among those arrested and “brutalised” before they were released.
INEC had said in March that a total of 1,407,222 voters – 661,394 (47%) males and 745,828 (53%) females – had registered in Osun State across the three senatorial districts, each of which has 10 local governments. The state has 332 wards, 3,010 polling units, and 3,379 voting points. Osogbo, the state capital, has the highest number of registered voters with 110,670, followed closely by Ife Central with a voting population of 95,471.
This much was evident at the governorship election in Osun State Saturday, when the APC candidate and incumbent governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, coasted home by a very comfortable margin to win a second four-year term. He beat his main opponent, Senator Iyola Omisore of PDP, by 394, 684 votes to 292, 747 votes.
The election, which was contested by 20 candidates, was peaceful and largely devoid of incident.
Aregbesola had held the lead early in many local government areas as the results of the governorship election came in from the various polling units. But his main challenger, Omisore, was trailing in many of the early results.
Many PDP leaders in the state also failed to deliver victory at their polling units. In APC, former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who only on Tuesday defected from PDP to APC, lost his polling unit to his former party.
In the final result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission and announced by the state’s returning officer, Professor Bantale Omolere, about 5:30am today, the incumbent governor won in 22 local government areas, while Omisore led in eight local councils. Aregbesola carried the day in nearly all the local government areas in his native Ilesha axis, and Omisore led in the councils in the Ife area.
But Omisore alleged in a statement that Aregbesola had breached the provisions of the Electoral Act by “declaring his own version of the results without recourse to INEC.”
Prominent PDP leaders in the state who lost their polling units to APC included Omisore’s running mate, Adejare Bello; PDP state chairman, Gani Olaoluwa; and former defence minister Erelu Obada.
Aregbesola, who was accredited for the vote about 10.45am at Unit 1, Ward 8, Ifofin, Ilesa, along with his wife, Sherifat, and two sons, told newsmen that he was pleased with the conduct of the election. He urged the people to maintain the peace in the state, warning that those who may attempt to disrupt the democratic process will suffer harsh consequences.
“They will have themselves to blame if they scuttle the democracy,” the governor said.
He stressed, “You can see people patriotism and commitment to democracy. If they can be 20 per cent committed like the ordinary people, the nation would have been the best for it. What they are doing by picking our chieftains and members is barbaric. They have been arresting, harassing and molesting our people for no just reason. The democracy is about making your choice freely without being hounded.” It was in reference to an alleged arrest of APC leaders by the federal security forces since the eve of the election.
There was an impressive turnout of voters across the state for the election, which commenced on time at most polling units.
According to the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, polling units open at 8am for accreditation and close at 12 noon. Voting starts 12:30pm.
Omisore voted at Unit 13, Ile-Ife, about 12: 58pm. He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the poll. Voting closed in many places about 5pm.
There was a heavy presence of security personnel, including soldiers, across the state during the election. Many residents of the state, especially in Osogbo, who spoke with reporters said the security operatives were largely civil.
Though, APC alleged that some of its members had been arrested by the security operatives.
APC said its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was arrested by security agents in Osogbo on the eve of the election. His personal assistant, Mr. Williams Adeleye, said in a statement that Mohammed was picked up along with the media aide to the APC national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Sunday Dare, and the deputy chief of staff to the governor of Ogun State Governor, Mr. Salisu.
The statement said they were arrested by a team of soldiers and operatives of the Directorate of State Security Service while they were heading to the Government House, Osogbo, and taken to an unknown destination in an unmarked truck.
APC said the arrests were the latest in a series of clampdown targeting opposition leaders and members ahead of the governorship poll. Aregbesola said the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adewale Afolabi, and the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Wale Adedoyin, were among those arrested and “brutalised” before they were released.
INEC had said in March that a total of 1,407,222 voters – 661,394 (47%) males and 745,828 (53%) females – had registered in Osun State across the three senatorial districts, each of which has 10 local governments. The state has 332 wards, 3,010 polling units, and 3,379 voting points. Osogbo, the state capital, has the highest number of registered voters with 110,670, followed closely by Ife Central with a voting population of 95,471.
