#OsunDecides2018: Omisore, Adeoti, Akinbade agree on conduct of peaceful election

The trio of Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, of Action Democratic Party (ADP) and Alhaji Fatai Akinbade Advanced Democratic Congress (ADC), who are candidates for the September 22 governorship election in Osun State, have jointly resolved to cooperate with each other for a peaceful election in the state.

The three out of the top five candidates of the 47 clearered by the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to participate in the election, during their meeting at the early hours of Thursday, agreed on three areas of collaboration which bother on the import of having a peaceful, free and fair election in Osun State.

In their resolution, the trio of Omisore, Adeoti and Akinbade, agreed to “cooperate with one another, INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders, for peace and progress to reign in Osun State the rest of the time before, during and after the governorship election September 22, 2018.”

The second part of the agreement was to “work together before, during and after September 22, 2018 governorship election to ensure that free, fair, credible and acceptable elections are conducted and concluded with the swearing in of the genuine choice of the people of Osun State as the governor.”

The trio also agreed to “continue to run the race in their respective political parties, yet bearing in mind that all hands must always be on deck, to move Osun State to greater heights.”

Meanwhile, INEC national chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had, on Wednesday, reiterated the commission’s commitment towards the conduct of free, fair and credible election in Osun State on Saturday, September 22, 2018.

Yakubu, while addressing the staff of the commission in Ibadan, on Wednesday, admonished them to continue to maintain neutrality.

He assured all Nigerians that votes of Osun electorate would determine, who win the September 22 governorship election, adding that “INEC has no candidate nor belong to any of the contesting political parties.”

Yakubu also assured all the contestants that the vote of every eligible voter would count and that the commission would remain unbiased umpire during the Osun election and other elections in the country.

On INEC preparedness for the 2019 general elections, the INEC boss said the commission was ready, promising that the success of the elections would surpass 2015 achievement.

He also urged all the staff of the commission to effectively monitor primaries of political parties without compromise.

He promised to be more committed to the welfare of the staff of the commission and urged them to build on the commission’s achievements recorded during the 2015 general elections.

Earlier, the Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mutiu Adegoke, had briefed the national chairman on the activities of the commission in Oyo State since his assumption of office in January 25, 2018.

Adegoke said the commission had registered 538,704 new voters in the just suspended Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Oyo State.

He further said that 657,790 unclaimed PVCs were still in the custody of the commission, making Oyo State to be the second among the states with the largest number of uncollected PVCs.

Adegoke sought for more improved welfare packages and a better working environment that would make the uphill tasks before them worth giving their best.