…Ooni seeks peaceful, credible poll
By Shina Abubakar

OSOGBO — NATIONAL Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, yesterday, described the Osun election as the most consequential off-cycle poll because it will serve as a mirror for the 2027 general elections.

Prof. Amupitan was at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi alongside INEC National Commissioners and the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, to officially brief the monarch about the forthcoming election and seek royal blessings.

He said the Commission had concerns over the security situation in the state and urged the royal fathers to prevail on political actors to ensure a peaceful poll.

The INEC boss assured that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, would be deployed to ensure every vote counts.

Amupitan said: “We are here, our royal fathers, to seek your royal blessings and tap into your fatherly wisdom. This election is the most consequential off-cycle election in Nigeria because after this election, we move straight into the general election.

“BVAS is our game-changer. All those issues of ballot paper stealing won’t affect the poll. If you are not accredited by BVAS, that vote will not be counted. So I am assuring Osun electorates that their votes will count.

“As far as we are concerned, an election is successful if it is peaceful, if it starts on time and ends on time and if the result is collated transparently. The blood of innocent people is not worth the governorship election. By God’s grace, we will all be happy with what will happen on August 15.”

Meanwhile the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, who received the INEC chairman in company of other traditional rulers, declared that political tension in the state is unbearable and worrisome ahead of the election.

The monarch, who spoke on behalf of the traditional rulers, urged politicians to prioritise peace and fairness, adding that Osun is bigger than everyone and tasked traditional rulers to embrace politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties and always tell them the truth.

He said: “There is tension in Osun State right now. The political tension is so much and it is becoming unbearable and really worrisome. We do not want to rock the boat. We want elections to come very freely and very fairly and very justly.”

“We have been deliberating for the last five hours. Are we going to fold our hands, we traditional rulers? We should live above politics because Osun State is bigger than all of those politicians. Osun State is bigger than us.”

While commending Amupitan for his track record, the monarch appealed to the Commission to act as an impartial umpire.

He said: “You are the umpire to douse the tension. You are the umpire to bring it down and make sure everything is right.”

Traditional rulers in the meeting include the Orangun of Ila, Oba Abdulwahab Adedotun; Timi of Ede, Oba Adesola Lawal; Akire of Ikire, Tajudeen Olanrewaju; and Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode.

Others include the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdur-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Makama Oyelude, and Orangun of Oke Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin.