Osun State Guber Polls 'Ll Be Better than Ekiti - INEC BOSS (Jega)

As Nigerians continue to shower encomiums on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conducting a hitch-free governorship election last Saturday in Ekiti State, the electoral body has reassured Nigerians that next August's gubernatorial polls in Osun State would be better.

This assurance was given yesterday by INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, while speaking at the commission's quarterly meeting with the 26 registered political parties in Abuja.

Jega also expressed his satisfaction with the efforts of the registered political parties in ensuring a hitch free poll in Ekiti and also urged them to use the opportunity provided by the election to support the commission's efforts in conducting a free and fair poll next year.

The INEC boss further urged all stake holders who were involved in the conduct of the Ekiti polls that was adjudged the best the commission has so far conducted not to rest on their oars adding that it is the commissions' resolve that the August 17 Osun polls and 2015 general elections would be better than the Ekiti polls.

- aLLaFRICA

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has said that the All Progressives Congress lost the Ekiti State governorship polls due to fraud but maintained that it was impossible to rig him out in the August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun.


The governor spoke in Ikirun on Tuesday during the continuation of his campaign which was held in the town.

Aregbesola, who was obviously excited by the large turnout of his supporters at the campaign, said that it was impossible to oust him from power in Osun State because he still enjoyed the support of the masses.

The candidate of the APC, who spoke in Yoruba language, urged the people of the state to vote and protect their votes from being manipulated.

He said, “They perpetrated fraud in Ekiti but we are looking at them. They said that my days in office remain 43 days and I just laughed. What they did in Ekiti is not possible here in Osun. Osun is different and they know it. In 2011, all Yoruba states voted for Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate but Osun people voted for Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was the Action Congress of Nigeria candidate. We are different in Osun. Don’t let them scare you.

“The people here today have shown that they are solidly behind us. We are not angry about the development in Ekiti State because it is part of democracy. Ekiti people have made their choice.” - N-Eye