Coalition of United Political Parties rejects APC victory in Osun as international observers cry foul

NIGERIA'S Coalition of United Political Parties (Cupp) has rejected the declaration of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor-elect of Osun State saying the action is a rape of democracy between the government and the security forces.

Yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), declared Alhaji Oyetola as the winner of the election after supplementary polling which held in seven polling units across four local government areas. Last Saturday, Osun State went to the polls to elect a governor and Senator Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 254,698 votes, while Alhaji Oyetola of the APC got 254,345 votes.

Inec declared the result inconclusive because it had cancelled 3,498 votes in seven polling units located in Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North and Ife South local government areas as a result of irregularities. Yesterday, a supplementary election took place and after collating the results, Inec declared Alhaji Oyetola the winner with a total of 255,505 votes while Senator Adeleke scored 255,023 votes.

However, the polls were marred by allegations of voter intimidation, observers not being allowed to carry out their tasks and political violence. Observers from the US, European Union and UK had expressed concern about the fairness of the election, noting that they had heard reports of voters being prevented from, going to the polling station.

Across several locations, voters complained of being stopped by thugs sent by the APC and prevented from visiting polling booths. Besides leading in the number of votes cast, the APC also led in the number of local governments won, winning a total of 16 local governments as against 11 won by the PDP, with the SDP winning two and the ADP victorious in one.

In a swift response, the Cupp said it is worried that Inec and the Nigerian security forces have turned themselves into APC organs. Cupp spokesman Ikenga Ugochinyere said that the same Inec that claimed to have cancelled results of some polling units due to disruption watched with collaborative silence as security forces comprising the police, Civil Defence, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Army comfortably turned themselves into the joint militant wing of the vote-stealing APC yesterday.

Mr Ugochinyere said: "For the very first time in Nigeria electoral history, accredited journalists and observers were manhandled and stopped from accessing voting areas. Security forces watched while helplessly while APC thugs molested and intimidated voters, dispossessed them of their permanent voters card and abducted accredited agents of the opposition.

"Inec has finally confirmed the speculation that it was indeed a conspirator in the denial of the mandate of Osun people freely given to Senator Ademola Adeleke. Nobody is in doubt anymore that the shenanigans of Inec during the collation and declaration of result was for a purpose.

"The deduction of votes from Senator Adeleke, the fictitious adding of votes for Alhaji Oyetola and suspicious declaration of an election adjudged by all Inec accredited observers as the freest and fairest in recent times as inconclusive due to disruptions is akin to Inec discrediting its own process just to please the APC. The whole world has watched the show of shame in Osun, the whole world has seen Professor Mahmood Yakubu dance shamelessly naked in the market square for personal aggrandisement, all his pontification as a revolutionary and crusader of free and fair election have been washed down the drain, his character was tested, he failed woefully."

Following the marred elections, the Cupp said it called on all patriotic Nigerians to demand the immediate resignation of Professor Yakubu, the Inec chairman. It also called on all international agencies to recognise that Professor Mahmood is the singular greatest threat to credible elections in Nigeria.

"Any investments in Inec while he sits as chairman is a waste and should be discontinued immediately till he leaves office. We also remind our fellow countrymen that freedom cometh by struggle and Osun is the bridge of our tolerance to this quantum of brigandage by state institutions saddled with the responsibility to ensure credible elections.

"Beyond this bridge, we shall not tolerate, accept or condone the acts of stealing of the mandate of the people, Osun is the last and it will not happen again. Finally, we call on the good people of Osun to remain peaceful as their mandate will be restored by the judiciary," Mr Ugochinyere added.

Cupp added that Nigerians now know what President Muhammadu Buhari is planning for the country and they shall be ready to resist his anti-democratic forces next year. Mr Ugochinyere said Nigerians now know that our opponents for the 2019 general elections include the security forces and Inec.