Osun - Defender March 31st, 2015 Edition

www.osundefender.org Tuesday, March 31, 2015 With the last dying gasp of the old order, a new society is been midwifed.

The presidential election on the 28th of this month will be pivotal alright but what else does it portend?

In a way, it makes us to recall a famous quip by the legendary manager of

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VOL. 10. NO.028

Buhari,Tinubu And The New National agents Majority and privees of Liverpool Football C l u b B i l l S h a n k l y.

Pressed as to the real essence of football, S h an k ly m emora b ly stated,” football is not a matter of life and death, actually, it’s much more important than that”.

Paraphrasing Shankly, this is not just an electoral cycle and its not just another election, actually it’s much more important than that.

The highly respected Awujale of Ijebuland alluded to this recently. Out of

presumably exasperation, he was to state that in over a fifty-year electoral cycle, he had never seen an election of this intensity. The Awujale was being characteristically polite. In this election, the

the outgoing regime have thrown the kitchen sink not just at Muhammadu Buhari but also at the social cohesion of the Nigerian state.

Religion, ethnic divide, everything has been used

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to contrive a divide based on destroying the social solidarity of the Nigerian state.

The intensity says it all, that there is more than an election at play. In essence and there are echoes of 1993 here. What is in construction here is a Continued on page 6

Presidential, NASS Elections:

Buhari Sweeps Osun, APC Clears 3 Senatorial, 7 Reps Seats

- See Story On Page 2

•As Omisore, Adesiyan, Oyedokun Lose Polling Units

Asiwaju At 63: Aregbesola Says Tinubu’s Sacrifice, Vision Have Advanced Nigeria’s Democratic Ideals

- See Story On Page 5

osun Defender Tuesday, March 31, 2015

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Osun APC Clears 3 Senatorial, Seven Reps Seats •As Omisore, Adesiyan, Oyedokun Lose Polling Units

Ayo Omidiran were declared By kazeem mohammed the winners of the election.

The PDP candidates he All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared all the three senatorial seats and seven out of the nine i n I j e s a - N o r t h F e d e r a l House of Representatives seat of the State of Osun. Constituency, Wole Oke, Senator Olusola Adeyeye Mojeed Alabi; Iwo Federal defeated his APC opponent, was returned for Osun Central Constituency, Gafar Amere Nathaniel Agunbiade, while with 137,379 votes, while his a n d I r e w o l e / Ay e d a a d e / Albert Adeogun of the PDP PDP counterpart scored 82, Isokan Federal constituency, defeated the incumbent APC 529 votes; Senator Babajide Omoworare defeated his PDP opponent Mr Francis Fadahunsi in Osun East with 101,352 votes, while Senator

By SHINA ABUBAKAR Isiaka Adeleke defeated Akinlabi Olasunkanmi of lectorate in Osogbo Federal Constituency of the the PDP in Osun West with State of Osun thronged to their various polling units 133,009 votes. to perform their civic duty of voting for a presidential F o r t h e H o u s e o f candidate of their choice and members of parliament as the Representatives, the APC rescheduled general elections commenced on Saturday. candidates in Osogbo H o w e v e r, u n l i k e t h e polling units in Osogbo, the F e d e r a l C o n s t i t u e n c y, governorship election last state capital, that voters Lasun Yusuff; Ifelodun/ year August, turn-out were conscious of the fact Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal polling units visited inbymost the the senatorial election may Constituency, Yinka Ajayi; medium was average, as some have issues, particularly Ila Federal Constituency, voters stayed back at their as the PDP candidate, Mr Femi Fakeye; Ijesa-South various homes, while those that Oludaisi Aina, had embarked Federal Constituency, Ajibola travelled did not bother to come on inducing the electorate Famurewa; Ede Federal home for the poll. to vote for him at other Constituency, Professor It was observed at various local government council

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candidate in Ife Federal C o n s t i t u e n c y, R o t i m i Makinde.

Meanwhile, the duo of the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan and the PDP candidate in the August 9, 2014 governorship election were defeated in their various polling units

in Odeomu, and Ile-Ife respectively.

Fadahunsi, the PDP senatorial candidate in Osun East was said to be able to secure such much votes as a result of his alleged attack on APC members and supporters on the election day forcing voters to vote

areas, hence their resolve to ensure that the result from the Osogbo and Olorunda council areas neutralised the outcome from others.

At most polling units in the state capital, voters were observed confirming outcome of the poll from other parts of the senatorial district with a view to knowing how to mobilise more supporters for the APC senatorial candidate.

Like during the last governorship election in the state, one of the strategies deployed by the PDP to conquer

the determination of the people and ensure that they voted for it was promising the people of payment of the sum of N2000 to N3000 per voter a day to the election and on election day.

Also, parts of the strategy was the early morning clampdown on community leaders, APC chieftains, polling agents and identified youths in APC strong base in the state.

However, the strategies worked against the party, as the youths and some elderly people saw the money offered them as their share of the national cake, while others simply rejected it and voted for the candidate of their choice.

O SU N DE F E N DER observed in the federal constituency that residents in the area thronged the polling units as early as 7.00am, waiting for the commission ad hoc staff and when they appeared with card readers, the electorate were elated.

The card readers were functional in most parts of the federal constituency, but some failed to read fingers of the prospective voters and incident forms were filled for such voters.

At Owode Ward 6, Unit 2, where the State Deputy Governor voted, it took

for him.

Also, former deputy National Chairman of the PDP, South West, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun reportedly lost his polling unit in Inisa, Odo-Otin Local Government Council Area of the state.

Low Turn-out Mar Poll In Osogbo Federal Constituency

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her about 60 seconds to be accredited and she returned to vote at the unit around 3:39pm, and similarly, Honourable Wa s e e u A d e b a y o w a s accredited within 30 seconds.

PDP members in the state capital were surprised with the trend of voting even before ballot counting commenced, as many of them thought the money they distributed, as well as food items would work magic for them, but it only got them some votes below their expectations.

As at the time of filing this report, the Senator representing Osun Central and who is also a candidate, Professor Sola Adeyeye, was coasting home to victory, as results from Boluwaduro, Osogbo, Olorunda, Ila, Irepodun, OdoOtin, Ifelodun council areas were in his favour.

Similarly, the member for the current House of Representatives, Honourable Lasun Yusuf, was also in comfortable lead, as the result from all the council areas in the zone was in his favour.

Aregbesola Adjudges Election Peaceful •The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, casting his vote at ward 8, unit 01 ifofin, Ilesa during the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives’ general elections last Saturday.

Osun Deputy Governor Commends INEC, Voters

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By shina abubakar

developing the state and take it to greater height.

In the same vein, the lawmaker representing Olorunda State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, after voting at his Oluode Unit disclosed that the card readers was an improvement on the electoral process, affirming that it would curb the act of electoral malpractices by politicians.

he Deputy Governor of the State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Laoye-Tomori, has commended the people of the state for showing their love and support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) by voting for its candidate in the March 28 elections.

S h e s t a t e d t h i s w h i l e teeming populace to continue speaking with journalists after to live with one another casting her vote at her polling peacefully, saying the period unit in Owode Ward 6 in the of politicking is over and every resident should live state capital.

The deputy governor also in harmony and be part of lauded the maturity with which the people handled issues during the election, the support enjoyed from them by security By ismaeel uthman operatives and INEC staff and peaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable making the entire process a Najeem Salaam has lauded the innovation of smart success. card reader introduced by Independent National L a o y e - To m o r i t h e n a c k n o w l e d g e d t h e Electoral Commission (INEC) saying that the device, despite overwhelming support the some justifiable challenges associated with any innovation, people of the state from all was a success story.

Speaker Salaam spoke to to almost flawless election in the local government council areas gave the governor, journalists in Ejigbo after his the future.

Speaking on the security Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as he accreditation at Ward 4, Unit situation in Ejigbo, Speaker 6, Oke Odo Ilupeju, said it emerged victorious at the poll, saying the governor would took less than 10 seconds to Salaam observed that the agencies have not done repay the good by rededicating be accredited and primed for security badly, but called for vigilance voting; noting that it was a himself to serving them better. on the part of the electorate at She disclosed that the wind radical departure from the different polling stations across process of the of change that is blowing in the cumbersome the state. past. state would soon spread to the Also, Professor Speaker Salaam reiterated whole of the country as results that with the Permanent Voter’s Mojeed Alabi, a House of from all states began to filter card and smart card reader, Representative candidate of into the INEC headquarters. the nation was moving close the All Progressives Congress She then called on the

He also commended the people of the area for standing by the APC despite being induced by the PDP with cash, expressing satisfaction with the turn-out of the poll.

He also urged the people to turn out en mass on April 11 to show support for the party and vote for its candidate in the State House of Assembly.

Speaker, Prof Alabi Laud Card Reader

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(APC) for Ejigbo/Egbdore/ Ede North/Ede South Federal Constituency, commended INEC for the use of the card reader.

Alabi, who cast his vote at Unit 2, Ward 2, Ejigbo said: “The card reader has been fantastic. I did my accreditation with the card reader in less than one minute. The accreditation was faster than manual accreditation.

“The card reader no doubt added to the credibility of the election. With the card reader, fake voter cards could not be used and election results cannot be manipulated. The card reader is good omen to credible and civilized electoral system of Nigeria.”

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By kazeem mohammed

overnor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has adjudged the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections process where he voted as commendable and peaceful.

Hewith spoke while addressing press shortlysaying, after casting his “we must vote other members of his thesuccessfully, all ensure the success of this family in Ifofin Ward 8, Unit 1, Ilesa-East Local Government election and we must get it right Council Area of the state at this time, so that we will not be a laughing stock before the whole about 1:58pm on Saturday.

The governor, who had of Africa and the world”.

He also raised concern that the earlier done his accreditation at about 10.40am before returning combination of the presidential to cast his vote, said the conduct and National Assembly elections of the exercise was an indication made the process cumbersome that the nation’s democracy has that it might result to too many voided votes. improved greatly.

The security operatives, he According to him, with the reports from around the state, the added, were more decorum Independent National Electoral and exude dignity that should Commission (INEC) should be in their operation during the be commended for reacting exercise.

“We must give it to those promptly to few hitches which arose from the card reader that introduced the use of card readers in this election, because operation.

According to him, the hitches the introduction has improved in the card reader operation were the processes in terms of minimal that it could not affect efficiency and credibility.

“In terms of security, the the conduct of the poll.

He noted that despite the little situation in Osun now is different complaints on the card readers, from what happened on August INEC must be commended for 9, 2014, when hooded men, introducing the system, saying terrorists were deployed to it has improved the efficiency intimidate the people and people still refused to be intimidated. of the process.

“In this election, the security The governor added that Nigerians should be commended men have learnt to be decorum, for allowing the electoral process they exude dignity that should to go on hitch-free, saying it was be in the security operations,” an indication that the nation is he added. getting better by the day.

He however, said Nigerians must keep watch on the processes to ensure that the election is eventually concluded

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osun Defender Tuesday, March

Elections: Large Turnout Of Voters Recorded In Ede

Governor on Federal and the opportunity and were exercise.

By Francis EZEDIUNO Speaking to newsmen Liaison Matters (Alajue engaged in brisk commercial hough every where wore an ambience of serene activities like frying bean shortly after casting their 1, Oba Laoye, Ward 4) silence, the electorate were observed as early as cake, selling of various votes in their wards, the d e s c r i b e d t h e v o t i n g possible trooping out en masse and making their brands of soft drinks, cooked All Progressives Congress exercise as perfect. ways to their polling booths in Ede township.

They commended the food and sale of recharge (APC) senatorial candidate Some of the polling booths visited at Sagba Abogunde, for Osun West, Senator INEC officials and the cards.

1:00pm except at Oba Ologun Agbaakin Ward 04 Meanwhile, for their Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke s e c u r i t y a g e n c i e s f o r (Muslim Grammar School), Laoye, Alajue 1, Ward 4, civility in carrying out their (Sagba Abogunde, Ede conducting the exercise in Unit 4, where voting started Station Road, Oja Timi, duty, kudos have gone the North) and Alhaja Idiat an atmosphere of peace and Atapa, Oke Gada all in Ede by 2:00pm due to logistic way of security agencies Babalola, former Special tranquility.

North Local Government concerns.

The Osun electorate In Ede North, around engaged in the election Adviser to the State of Osun were also commended for witnessed large turnout of Sagba, Olaogun, Ologun eligible voters.

In some of the units Agbaakin, Elerin, Poly visited, accreditation was Junction, voting commenced observed to have started on on the hour of 1:00pm and of the same ward and local

By Ismaeel Uthman the hour of 8:00am but many it was observed in some government. of the electorate complained polling units that pregnant lectorate in the State of Osun on Saturday The non-presence of of the card reader as the women and the physicallytrooped out en-masse to vote in the presidential and security personnel on the machine malfunctioned and challenged were seen being National Assembly elections, in a very limited major roads across the state they were finding it difficult separated from the able- presence of security operatives. raised fear in the minds of to get accredited, meanwhile bodied voters. of the state were not manned the electorate and members Unlike the August 9, 2014 A voter, Mrs. Balkis accrediation in some units by any security operative, of the All Progressives A d e b o l a , a t S a b o governorship election in the while some had only an C o n g r e s s ( A P C ) w h o went on smoothly. state, where heavy presence Security was tight as Agbangudu, Ede North, officer of the Federal Road were thinking of possible men of the Nigerian Army, maintained that the election o f s e c u r i t y o p e r a t i v e s Safety Corps. attacks from the Peoples witnessed in every nook Police, Civil Defence Corp and voters came out enmasse Democratic Party (PDP).

At Unit 8, Ward 11, and cranny of the state, the could be observed on the to exercise their franchise.

Also, there were Ejigbo Local Government, security was relaxed as there major junctions like Timi She expressed hope that no security personnel or challenges of crowd control were no check points not Agbale roundabout, NYSC since the exercise was FRSC officer was at the in some polling units, where Junction, Akoda Junction. conducted without fear, the barricade in large part of polling unit when OSUN only one FRSC officer or the state.

At Alajue 1, Ward 4, Ede people would be respected In some local government DEFENDER visited the policeman or civil defence South Local Government and subsequent elections was present, as the electorate council areas like Osogbo, place around 12pm.

Council Area, accreditation would not be rigged.

A t u n i t 4 , Wa r d 7 were not orderly and at the Olorunda, Egbedore, Ejigbo, started at 8:00am and the There was a reported electorate were observed case by Olawale Abogunde Ede, Iwo and Ayedire visited O b a m o r o / I l e - O g o i n same time rude to the lonely going about the business of of the INEC card reader by OSUN DEFENDER, Olaoluwa local government, security agent.

The development the day with ease and in a d e v e l o p i n g e l e c t r o n i c t h e r e w a s n o s e c u r i t y there was no security c h e c k p o i n t a n d s o m e a l m ost disrupted the personnel at the polling peaceful manner. issues, which elicited were seen on the unit while there was only a c c r e d i t a t i o n e x e r c i s e Adedayo Olayinka, at negative comments from vehicles road without being checked one FRSC officer at unit 3 at Unit 6, Ward 10, Iwo Alajue 1, noted that the the voters against the adhoc by anybody.

INEC Staff were on hand From Osogbo down to on time and accreditation of staff at Oja Timi, within 30 Iwo, there was no security minutes, the problem was eligible voters commenced corrected and accreditation checkpoint, likewise from on time.

Iwo down to Bode-Osi and A v o t e r, C l e m e n c e went on.

Abdulateef Marian from other parts of Ola-Oluwa Romoke, who said she had Government Council Sagba, on her own, said Local

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI been at the polling station Area. before 8:00am and her she had never had it as O SU N DE F E N DER he just-concluded general elections witnessed the accreditation and that of calm and peaceful as this, v i s i t e d E j i g b o a n d least security presence in the State of Osun since others went smoothly and as it further indicated that discovered that a barricade 1999, which according to observers, was responsible Nigeria could conduct a free the INEC Ad hoc staff at the manned by three soldiers for better turnout in most parts of the state. was at the entrance of the polling unit made it known and fair election.

Our reporter who monitored the election in Ila, Boluwaduro, On further verification, town, but there was no any that actual voting would Boripe, Odo- Otin, Boripe Otan Ayegbaju checking the it was learnt that the reason other security checkpoint Local Government Council vehicles going to Iresi, Okestart by 1:00am.

At Seventh Day Adventist for taking this action was till the medium got to Ola, a Areas observed that only one Irun, Igbajo in Boluwaduro Grammar School, Ede, the to prevent them from being town under the Ejigbo Local unarmed security personnel Local Government Council Government Council. was deployed to each of most Area. The security personnel same thing was observed, exposed to the sunlight.

It was also noted that there of the polling units.

A general stroll through at the poling units included as many of the voters From Ikirun to Ila, there immigration officers, prison initially complained of the major streets and roads was a checkpoint of two the card reader, a situation in Ede North and South soldiers at the entry point of was no single road block by services officers, Federal which was later resolved local government council Ile-Ogbo, Headquarters of the Nigeria Military or Police Road Safety Corps among and accreditation went on areas revealed that the Ayedire Local Government detachments, while only a others.

Area of the state. team of Civil Defence Corps However, there are reports smoothly. streets were deserted and Council The medium also noted with a Toyota Hilux Van was of card reader failure in OkeThe Independent National some children were spotted that polling units patrolling the major towns in Ede, Ward 9, Ila Orangun, Electoral Commission using the opportunity to visitedsome in Egbedore, Ejigbo, the area.

Unit 5 ward 10 in Iresi, ward (INEC) electoral officer play game of football.

The military men were only 6, Igbajo, ward 9 Unit 7, Ola-Oluwa and Iwo Local interviewed at Ward 4, Ede Some others chanced on Government Council Areas sighted at Iresi junction in Iree among others. Voting South Local Government Council Area revealed that the problem with the card reader machine was because the protective sticker that came with the machine was yet to be taken off.

He also explained that the commission had made provisions in case their accreditation did not sail through for an Incidence Form, which was another option.

He however, maintained that all the materials they needed were made available from the INEC Headquarters in Osogbo.

At Agip Area, a voter, Ahmed Adesola, disclosed that the exercise had been calm and despite the fact that they were positioned far from each polling unit, the security operatives had carried themselves in a civilized manner.

In all the polling units i n E d e N o r t h L o c a l •Deputy governor, State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, cast her vote at Owode Unit 2, Ward 6 at Government Council Area, Olorunda local government area of the State of Osun during the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives’ voting started at exactly general elections last Saturday.

Photo: SHOLA ADERINTO.

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conducting themselves in an orderly manner, even when in some units, the INEC card reader machine failed initially to accredit them but they exercised patience after which voting commenced peacefully.

Osun Electorate Vote Amidst Relaxed Security

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Local Government Council Area and Unit 1, Ward 4, Ogbaagba II, Olaoluwa Local Government Council Area, where there was only a single female FRSC officer and a policeman respectively.

However, the medium was informed that policemen were later deployed to some of the polling units, where there was no or one security agent in Ola-Oluwa local government at pass 1pm.

O SU N DE F E N DER observed that there was little compliance with the no vehicular movement in Iwo, Ejigbo Ile-Ogbo and Ede, as some cars and motorcycles were seeing on the roads moving freely.

Non-militarisation Will Eliminate Voters’ Apathy In Nigeria – Akere

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commenced very late in most of the areas where the card readers had hitches.

It was however, discovered that in the areas where there were challenges, most of the corps members did not understand the configuration of the card readers but INEC experts rose to the occasion.

In Iresi Ward 10, Unit 5, Ikefin, they resulted to manual accreditation after the failure of the card reader, while in some polling units, the manual and card reader accreditation were combined.

Speaking on the development, Osun former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere, said nonmilitarization of the election responsible for larger turnout of the electorate.

Akere, while speaking in Igbajo after accreditation said: “We recorded higher turnout than the gubernatorial election. There are several reasons to it; nonmilitarization of the process, the fear created by the military personnel before the August 9 scared some voters away, but you can see that people trooped out willingly and voluntarily.”

O n t h e c a r d r e a d e r, Akere commended the timely intervention of INEC to various complaints on the card reader, saying the introduction of the technology has made “overall process open, credible, fair and the turnout is impressive.”

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osun Defender Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Electorate Hail Card Reader, Peaceful Election E By ismaeel uthman

lectorate in the State of Osun have expressed their satisfaction with the use of card reader for accreditation of voters by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2015 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The electorate in an the accreditation of voters i n t e r v i e w w i t h O s u n would greatly reduce the Defender at several manipulation of election polling units in Osun West results.

Senatorial District on Though, in some polling Saturday stated that the use units, the card reader failed of the card reader has put a to work, while in some other stop to the use of fake voter units it refused to work for cards being used by some sometimes before it was politicians to rig election. fixed.

According to the Common complaints electorate, who commended of the card reader by the INEC and his Chairman, electorate was that it was not Professor Attairu Jega on authenticating fingerprint of the poll, they stated that the some voters, but it read the use of the card reader for Permanent Voters cards as

being authentic.

One of the card readers at Polling Unit 009, Ward 2, Osogbo, Olorunda Local Government, did not work, a situation that threw the electorate and party agents into confusion.

At polling unit 11, Ward 07, Ago Ogunmode Molete 3, Iwo, Iwo local government, one of the card readers also failed to work.

However, Osun Defender learnt that

other card readers were deployed to the polling units after some hours, and it hastened the accreditation exercise at the unit.

A voter at Polling Unit 2, African Church Primary School Open Space, Ward 4, Ileogbo, Ayedire Local Government, Mr Israel Alabi maintained that the use of the card reader added to the credibility of the general elections.

Alabi stated that people

that wanted to manipulate election results had abandoned the plan with the use of the card reader which automatically registered the number of accredited voters and send it to the INEC data base.

Another voter at Polling Unit 1, Awo/Adodo Ward, Awo in Egbedore Local Government, Mr Bamidele Salam, attested to the goodness of the card reader for the accreditation of the

voters for the conduct of the election.

Mr Bayo Ajayi who voted at Polling unit 1, Ward 9, Garage Ikire, Irewole Local Government also lent credence to the usefulness of the card reader for the actualization of free, fair and credible election.

Ajayi stated that the use of the card reader made the voting process transparent which is acceptable to all the electorate.

INEC Cancels Elections In

Two Polling Units In Iwo

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By ismaeel uthman

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled the elections at Polling Unit 2, Oke-Adan 3, Ward 6, and Polling Unit 5, Gidigbo Ward 3, in Iwo Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that some thugs hijacked ballot box at Unit 2, Oke-Adan Ward disrupted the voting process.

6 in Iwo when the electorate Subsequently, the electoral were casting their vote. officer in the unit announced The thugs, according to eye the cancellation of election, witnesses, were armed with and the INEC Ad-hoc staff left cutlasses, axes, charms, broken the polling unit. bottles and clubs ran into the •Professor Yemi Osinbajo preparing to cast his vote during the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives polling centre, harassed the general elections last Saturday. electorate and INEC Ad-hoc staff including the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) member and snatched the ballot box. replica of kidnap, saying It was learnt that there was

By Kazeem Mohammed the result of Ife-Central was that Fadahunsi must be been declared to rescue the a single unarmed policeman at declared the winner of the electoral officials, journalists enator representing Osun East Senatorial District indeed mutilated, and the poll. the polling unit; hence it was and APC supporters out of the of Osun State, Senator Babajide Omoworare, was commission would resort to not possible for him to confront They threatened to throw declared the winner of the election in the senatorial the copies of the results given caution into the wind if their collation centre. the hoodlums. to the parties and the police to candidate was not announced.

Nemesis however caught up district amidst tension on Monday. conclude the collation.

He defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, There was heavy presence with two of the thugs as they Mr Franchis Fadahunsi, with Ilesa and mutilated the result When the copies of the were arrested by security men 101,352 votes to 99,162 of the election. result for Ife-Central given to of securitymen, as INEC on patrol. votes.

T h e S t a t e R e s i d e n t parties were being expected, declared the result.

It was the securitymen The election in the polling T h e I N E C R e t u r n i n g Electoral Commissioner, m e m b e r s o f t h e P D P unit was cancelled by the Officer for the Senatorial Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, mobilised themselves to the who diverted the attention of Electoral Officer, in line with District, Professor Mabayoje confirmed what he called, collation centre, protesting the PDP supporters by telling them that Fadahunsi had the guideline of the Electoral Aluko, announced the result Act. of the election at the collation At Polling Unit 5, Gidigbo centre in Ilesa Grammar Ward 3, in Iwo, some members School, Ilesa amidst protest It was gathered that the the failure to accredit people

By Kazeem Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic a n d i n s i s t e n c e b y P D P electoral officials were able due to the failure of the card members that their party Party (PDP) allegedly harassed here was an alleged intimidation of voters to vote to ascertain that some of the reader. the electoral officers and should be declared the winner for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ilase, holders of the cards were “Infact, some NYSC subsequently pulled down the of the poll.

Obokun Local Government Council Area of the not the true owners, as the members have taken laws Some thugs suspected tent under which the electoral to be loyal to Fadahunsi State of Osun, the hometown of the party’s senatorial cards were neither meant into their hands, telling us officers were sitting.

The electoral officials had reportedly abducted candidate for Osun East Senatorial District, Mr Franchis for the unit, nor matched the that those that have not been reportedly scampered for the Electoral Officer of Ife Fadahunsi. accredited should go home. pictures of the holders. safety, when the alleged PDP Central Local Government in A source told OSUN also coerced to allow those “The corps members they It was also learnt that the members pulled down the tent the late hour of Sunday on the DEFENDER that electoral with fake voters’ cards to electoral officials initially brought here are very daft, on them, a development that way to the collation centre in

Omoworare Declared Winner Amidst Tension, Tight Security

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EOs, Voters Coerced To Vote PDP In Ilase

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officials in the town were

vote in favour of the PDP.

Government Chieftaincy Committee and one other, over Iyalode and Otun Iyalode chieftaincy titles.

According to the petition, the two families are claiming exclusive rights over the title.

The chairman however, said that for the fact that the matter is in the court of law does not stop the commission from carrying out its job, saying that the commission is just to find fact and not a court of law.

He said, the sole aim of the governor for setting up the commission was for

therefore, overruled the objection and adjourned the matter till 16th of April, 2015 for hearing.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the commission, Mr Bisi Babalola, has called on members of the public that have any grievance with either government or individual, that the commission, being a standing one, is still open to receive petitions.

Commission Established To Find Facts Not To Adjudicate and Attorney-General in peace to reign among the the state, the Ataoja of people of the state.

Justice Adeigbe Osogbo, Osogbo Local Justice Adeigbe

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By rasheed fatimot

he Chairman of Commission of Inquiry on Disturbance of Public Peace set up by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Justice Moshood Adeigbe, has emphasised that the duty of the commission is to find facts and make recommendation based on the facts but not to adjudicate.

Justice Adeigbe made this known at the resumed sitting of the commission the third respondent in the at the Ministry of Justice petition, raised an objection Conference Hall, while that the petition before the reacting to preliminary commission was already in objection raised by a the High Court, therefore, praying the commission counsel.

Barrister Gbadegesin not to hear it.

The Kanpe and Binuyo Adesina, counsel to the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba families had petitioned the Jimoh Olanipekun, who is Commissioner for Justice

dissallowed those with fake voters’ cards to be accredited, but when they were being threatened with attack in the presence of security operatives, they could not help the situation other than to agree with them.

Also in the town, PDP members were threatening their APC counterparts and other voters to either vote the PDP or be dealt with.

While addressing the press in his unit in Ilase, Fadahunsi wondered why the cards readers should be used for such general election, saying those managing it were not “masters”.

“I wonder the type of the very low result we will have for this election because of

they are one-way traffic and they will always tell you unless they hear from above. I wonder whom they are serving.

“For me oh, Jega and his people realy want to shortchange the South because the South-West is the darling wife of the nation now.

“All the same, my expectation is high. You can see the massive turnout in this small town, very encouraging. If you are popular with your people, you will gain, no matter the fraud against you.

“What is happening here is happening everywhere and I know that at the end of the exercise, it shouldn’t turn otherwise,” he said.

If you have a story or advert for us, contact 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897, 08023191891.

News

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Osun Defender Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Blow-By-Blow Account Of Elections In IfT

exercise.. voters at the unit expressed accreditation process was Erefe wards showed that the By sola jacobs So also at Aladelatan, their pleasure at the conduct on at the time. voters were already through Wunmonije and Edena he Saturday general elections in the four local At Ayetori unit 003 in with the accreditation of the exercise. polling units, accreditation governments of Ife including the Area office in The medium’s visit to the town, the voters were waiting to cast their votes. continued without hitching Modakeke were relatively peaceful but with few orderly, waiting to be AUD, Isale-Alawusa, as The medium arrived at but the security men had skirmishes at Olomu Village in Kere ward of Ife-South well as Olode Unit 003 accredited by the INEC Ife East Local Government an hectic time controlling Local Government Council Area of the state where it showed that there were officials Potential voters at 12.54pm at Saint Philips the voters. At Ilode polling was reported that a politician from the village allegedly massive turnouts and the at the unit said the card Anglican Middle School unit situated at All Saints besieged the serene village around 11 15pm on Friday exercise was without any reader was functioning but accreditation exercise was E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l , evening with armed men and scared away the villagers, it was slow to catch the over, voters were waiting hitch. miscreants sacked the OSUN DEFENDER was informed.

At 9.30, the medium fingerprints of the voters. to cast their votes. At Okiti polling unit immediately ward 7 situated at United OSUN DEFENDER also polling unit, the medium A source at the village, arrived AUD Elementary after the accreditation put a distressed call to the Anglican Middle School, School at Ifetedo, the visited Aye-Oba and the two met the Executive Secretary and the policemen were accreditation exercise had medium who was at Olode party agents; Mr Hussein units situated at Oba Adesoji of Ife East local government seen dispersing them with on election eve alleged that commenced and more than Akinyoade of the PDP, Mr Aderemi Memorial College, Hon Taju Lawal, as well as teargas. a politician besieged his 100 voters were on the John Adetoye of APC and the INEC officials at the former Minister of Water OSUN DEFENDER also village with armed men queue to perform their civic Mr Olapade Akinlolu of LP unit said the exercise was Resources, Hon Bashir visited Ijio unit 5 where threatening potential voters responsibility. all expressed pleasure at the smooth .

Awoteorebo who attested The presiding officers and conduct of the election as A visit to Yekemi and to the smooth conduct of the there was smooth conduct that they would not vote in the Saturday elections.

The source continued that both men and women in the exercise was started the village had taken cover By kazeem mohammed would be followed till the under cocoa plantation. end of the election. accreditation of eligible According to the source, The duo spoke in Akere said, the turnout of he alleged that the politician he All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Igbajo, Boluwaduro Local voters has resolved the voters was a clear indication hitches in the use of card the State of Osun, Prince Gboyega Famoodun, and Government Council Area, arrived the village in a red that Nigerians have decided the former Commissioner for Information and their hometown after being readers, saying this has to take their destiny into Volvo car with registration shown that the INEC indeed number AX649FEE with Strategy in the state, Mr Sunday Akere, have expressed accredited by electoral their hands by electing their prepared well for the poll. fully armed men in a optimism that the hitches recorded with the usage of officials. leaders.

He was hopeful that the Famoodun said the Motorcycle convoy and card readers for the last Saturday election would not “The turnout today was credible process with which alternative manual moving from one hut to the affect the credibility of the poll. impressive and people other and that he had to take came out willingly to cast cover inside the bush with their vote and this is a clear indication that Nigerians his wives and children.

By kazeem mohammed have taken their destiny into In view of the claims o f t h e s o u r c e , O SU N succeed, otherwise, this whole their hands. process.

“Apart from little hitches he Senator representing Osun East Senatorial DEFENDER put a phone “So far, so good, the process process has failed, if the end recorded, accreditations District, Babajide Omoworare, has said electoral has been okay, and I hope that result is not right. call through to a PDP processes are getting better in Nigeria, going by the the processes of the election He said, the new approach have been going on very chieftain in Olode, who introduced to electioneering well, as the INEC officials affirmed that a member peaceful conduct of last Saturday poll. are peaceful till the end.

Omoworare, who was seeking re-election, spoke at his Ile-Ife “Even after we might process has reduced the were able to manage the of his party had also put a residence after casting his vote, the remaining period of the have completed the voting friction that used to happen in hitches conveniently. phone call through to him, saying the use of card reader exercise.

“We must commend the the area during elections. alleging that unknown gun has improved the credibility “I am of the view that and returning process, we A l s o , t h e i m m e d i a t e - INEC for the exercise and it must ensure that there is no of the electioneering process. electoral processes are getting men had shot a member of He expressed hope that the better in Nigeria. There is annulment and ensure that past Special Adviser to the has shown that our electoral the PDP as well in the same people asking for coup or Governor on Youths, Sports process is improving. village and everyone had stakeholders would maintain need for improvement and the “I don’t see how the the peaceful situation through we are ready to improving the interim government do not and Special Needs, Comrade run for cover in the bush Biyi Odunlade, commended challenges of the card readers as well. the INEC for the conduct of would affect the credibility One Mr Sijuwade, a the exercise. of the election because there He said, the use of card was alternative manual resident in the village, also reader was a success and the accreditation. Rome was spoke with the medium that little hitches recorded were not built in a day and hitches the attackers as well riddled he Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on government at the centre manageable that they could not like this are expected in his fore-runner jeep with Sunday described the former Governor of Lagos State because of its anti-people affect the result of the election. anything being used for the bullets and shattered its He however hinted that he Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, as a formidable policies. windscreen.

Aregbesola prayed for long has received messages on how first time.” political warrior, whose exploits have advanced the cause He said, his expectation O SU N DE F E N DER of democracy in the country. life for the former governor of a culture of transparent adding that Nigeria would members of the APC were was that the APC candidates investigation continued being attacked by hoodlums Aregbesola, in a special credible elections in continue to reap from his would win at all levels in that at around 4.30am on birthday greeting in honour and Nigeria has not been without unmistakable commitment to in Ife South Local Government the state, considering the Saturday morning, it was of the National Leader of the the robust contribution of Council Area of the state. popularity of the party. gathered that one man, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Tinubu, adding that the good of the common man.

Dauda, Baba Kafayatu, who said the present and future he has been very consistent is an aide to a politician of Nigeria’s democracy in his opposition against the identified as Hon Kamoru would depend largely on the sacrifices already made by the Adebisi, a former local likes of Tinubu. government chairman in In a statement on behalf of Ife-South local government, the Governor by the Director, was allegedly shot dead by Bureau of Communication an unidentified gunman in and Strategy, Mr. Semiu the ensuing gun duel in the Okanlawon, Aregbesola extolled the virtues of Tinubu, village. whom, he said, had been M e a n w h i l e , v o t e r s visionary, perseverant, and still trooped out to vote committed to the institution in the village despite the of good governance and skirmishes that ensued on enduring democratic ideals the election eve, the medium in Nigeria.

“At 63, he represents the was reliably informed but most formidable bundle it was gathered that the of energy in the fight for larger number of voters, the installation of a true mainly women and children democratic society in our who fled the village did country. From a humble not return to the village professional beginning, to cast their votes for fear Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has of unknown, the medium emerged as the most creative public financial manager of reliably gathered. all times that I have met.

Also, the medium could “He has equally emerged not ascertain whether the a giant political figure whose body of Dauda has been contributions have enriched deposited in the morgue our political history.

“The history of Nigeria’s or any arrest made in connection with the killing modern democracy would as at the time of filing this be incomplete without the struggles and sacrifices made story.

by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.”

•Former Nigeria President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo being accredited by INEC official at Ota, Ogun State during At 8.10am, at unit 002, A r e g b e s o l a s a i d , the the Presidential, Senate and House of Representative general election last Saturday.

Hitches In Card Reader Won’t Affect Election Credibility - Akere, Famoodun

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Electioneering Process Getting Better In Nigeria - Omoworare

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Asiwaju At 63: Aregbesola Says Tinubu’s Sacrifice, Vision Have Advanced Nigeria’s Democratic Ideals

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battle for the institution

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Buhari,Tinubu And The New National Majority continued from pg1

new national majority. A victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) will, in effect, set a new template different in large measures from what we have seen since the ‘restoration` of democracy in 1999.

It is understandable that the old post-1999 order has run its course.

This is not surprising. For in spite of record earnings from crude oil sales, the much anticipated ‘dividends of democracy’ has turned out to be a mirage. In many ways the new national majority being put into play is actually a way of slaying the beast of the often cited ‘Nigeria Paradox’.

The conventional wisdom defines this paradox as the puzzling inability to translate record oil earnings into, at least, a marginal increase in living standards. On the part of the Nigerian people, expectations have been quite minimal. This is why the disappointment has been so very, painfully pronounced.

Kudos have to be given to those who have, against the odds, put together what is transmitting from a conventional ‘opposition’ to a government-inwaiting. It is quite an achievement as well as a saving grace for our somewhat fragile democracy. The alternative to this would have been a response at variance with democracy. In a multiethnic, multi-religious society, this sort of reaction would have been disastrous.

Those who provided an alternative deserve all the kudos.

For the valiant efforts of Buhari, Tinubu, Okorocha, Amaechi, Atiku and co, two choices now face the Republic.

It is either we continue on the path of under-achievement and disappointed expectations or we change course.

Changing course means a decisive and irreversible break with a dismal past.

There is no middle path.

The shift also comes at a time of declining oil income.

For this reason, a new national majority will be required to unite the progressive, national and democratic forces and tendencies behind a banner of national reconstruction and regeneration in order to save the Republic.

This is imperative because the economic outlook is unfavourable.

The outgoing PDP has not only mounted the most divisive election in Nigeria’s political history, it is also at the tail end carrying out a scourged earth policy. In the process, we have gone from wholesale to retail looting. The outlook is dire!

Facing the future means the construction of a new unifying national ethos to effect the re-adjustment that must be done. Capital has to be redirected from consumption into production.

Luckily, or is it providentially, we have in GMB the man with the fiscal rectitude to do so.

GMB terrifies the outgoing ancient administration precisely because of this.

The days of financial lawlessness will be put behind us. Frankly, in our present situation, there is no other alternative.

A new national majority will also ensure that the country develops a real marketpropelled economy.

On the contrary, what the out-going administration promotes is croynism.

This sort of system was denounced by the great Afrobeat exponent, the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as ‘paddy, paddy’ government. The system has worked

Ayegbaju Market: An Aregbesola Creative Initiative

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salute your effort in the area of information dissemination, most especially, your honest and accurate reportage of activities, events and programmes concerning the giant strides of Ogbeni Aregbesola in the State of Osun. I remain one of your most regular readers. I found out long ago that getting committed to a task like you have at hand could not have been possible without the spirit of courage and patriotism. By the grace of God, your strength, courage and intellect will not diminish.

I have been observing with keen interest for close to two years now; particularly when Ogbeni Aregbesola laid the foundation stones of three separate markets within Osogbo metropolis.

The markets are the Ayegbaju Market, the Aje Market and the International Market at Dagbolu. At that time of inception, I was wondering how those gigantic projects could be funded to completion stage, not to talk of how they could solve the problem of poverty plaguing our society.

To be direct, I felt that siting markets around had nothing to contribute to solving our problems.

Now, I know better. With the recent completion and official commissioning of the new Ayegbaju International market, I begin to view the State of Osun as a fulcrum of trade, commerce and industry.

I begin to visualize Osogbo, the state capital being restored to its old place of glory as the commercial nerve-centre of the O’odua states.

I watched the programme of official commissioning of

the market live on television.

When I saw the market women raining prayers and encomiums on Ogbeni, his family, life endeavours and his administration, I came to a conclusion that those praises and prayers are deserved. This is because he has removed the veil of obscurity from many of them and brought them to limelight.

Locating a market of that status in Osogbo at a time like this is like fulfilling an agenda of bringing Osogbo

fully up to the status of a state capital. Not only that, Osogbo has since Aregbesola’s arrival become what a ststae capital ought to be in the entire nation. By extension, the State of Osun is beginning to find its foot as a land of prosperity. In other words, by the time Ogbeni’s agenda for commerce, industry and cooperatives comes into full swing, poverty and unemployment would have

been completely banished, in fulfillment of one of the tenets of his Six-Point Integral Action Plan.

I foresee Osun as a state that offers equal, brighter opportunities to all citizens.

The traders that were earlier displaced due to ongoing transformation projects in roads and urban renewal can now heave sighs of relief as they become permanently settled at decent, serene, dignifying and vantage market

complexes. Petty and itinerant traders can now broaden the scope of their operation by accessing credits at the new Osun Micro Credit Scheme.

Now they have state-ofthe-art market places where they can daily display their wares conspicuously without harassment or risks of auto accidents. Young unemployed school leavers can now safely venture into various trading enterprises. Above all, employment opportunities of sorts are being created for the people of the state.

In sum, the State of Osun is set for the skies, its starting limits, as regards growth and development. I call on all citizens to rally round the incumbent administration so as to attain success in all its efforts at fully transforming the state.

Osun a dara o!

•Femi Jayeola, OgoOluwa Area, Osogbo, State of Osun.

hand in glove with corruption to stifle the nation’s economy.

By promoting sweetheart deals and preferential treatment to a favoured few in the corridors of power, costs have been skewed against the consumer and competition stifled. Anticipated new pro-competition and anti-trust laws and a strong regulatory body will soon put an end to this debilitation. For example, no competition authority no matter how incompetent, can conceivably tolerate the corruption-induced use of import duty waivers. Since these waivers have been depriving the country of tax revenues and stifling competition, this will be a real gain.

The dying gasp of the old order is predictably vicious. It has to be for it signals the end of unearned privileges fuelled by a sense of entitlement.

This has denied the majority of their economic rights and led to increasing mass poverty.

A new opportunity for national rebirth beckons it presents an opportunity to build through what is in essence an historic compromise a new society. We should seize this opportunity with both hands and not

OSUN DEFENDER

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House Ltd. Managing Editor – Kola Olabisi

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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.

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ISSN: 0794-8050 Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205 Website: www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com

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phototalk

2015 Presidential, Senate And House Of Representatives’ General Elections In The State Of Osun, Last Saturday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Wife of the Governor, State of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola casting her vote at Ifofin, Ilesa.

•Some INEC officials at the polling booth around 7:am at ward 5, Alekuwodo, Osogbo.

•Former governor of the State of Osun, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (left), being accredited by INEC officials at ward 1, Court Hall, unit 3 in Okuku.

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osun Defender Tuesday, March 31,

2015 Presidential, Senate And House Of Representatives’ General Elections In The State Of Osun, Last Saturday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Wife of former governor of the State of Osun, Princess Omolola Oyinlola, being accredited by INEC officials at ward 1, Court Hall Okuku.

•Mobile Police parading the road in Osogbo around 6:50 am before the election commenced last Saturday.

•Voters checking their names on the wall at Ila-Orangun.

•Soldiers blocking the road in Ikirun during the elections.

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osun Defender Tuesday, March 31,

2015 Presidential, Senate And House Of Representatives’ General Elections In The State Of Osun, Last Saturday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Voters on the queue at ward 4, unit 3 in Ikirun Ifelodun Local Government area of the state during the elections.

•Another cross section of voters at ward 5, Isedo, Ila-Orangun, units 3, 4 and 5.

•A cross section of voters at Iragbiji.

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osun Defender Tuesday, March

2015 Presidential, Senate And House Of Representatives’ General Elections In The State Of Osun, Last Saturday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•A presiding Officer of INEC addressing voters at Kobongbogboe in Osogbo during the elections.

•An old woman walking with stick, on her way to cast her vote at ward 13, unit 2, Inisa Odo-Otin Local Government Council Area of the State.

•A presiding Officer counting ballot papers after the election around 5:pm along Ibokun road, Osogbo.

•Voters on the queue at unit 7, ward 5 Tinumola area, Osogbo.

Photo: SHOLA ADERINTO.

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Good Goverosun Defender Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Fresh Tenure Well Deserved:

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled! V

We relish the victory in waiting from the just-concluded polls. In pursuance of this, NIYI OLASINDE continues the series on the hopes and expectations of residents; and the wish of observers across the country, expressed visibly through their voting patterns in the first round of the 2015 General Elections.

•Osun Elementary Schools Feeding and Health Programme (O’Meal) in action.

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osun Defender Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled! V Continued from page 11

proper application of efficacious therapy. Excerpts:

· Continued from last week.

THE last series of edition gave full concentration to the perusal of the education thrust of the Rauf Aregbesola administration in the State of Osun. The resounding victory and success recorded in the elections of last Saturday provided fresh impetus and springboard to go further and further in the exposition. Thus we go further: The first part of this series of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine edition conducted an expository chronicle of the exertions, activities and events undertaken by the committee set up by the Rauf Aregbesola administration to revive the ailing education sub-sector in the State of Osun i.e. the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project Committee, known for short as O’SCHOOLS. At the opening of the said edition, our teeming readers were taken down the memory lane, as we went through the spate of rot, decay and abandonment which our public educational institutions were made to witness in the past decade or thereabouts; particularly, during the time of the fiery siege unleashed by the immediate past administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. We availed the ample medium offered by that edition to explore the multiple ugly side-effects of the careless neglect of the time and the extent and depth of dungeon into which the state had been plunged.

We further went through the details of devastation; the extent and intensity of damage and the resultant effects of the declined quality on the state, its people and the products of the rotten system directly. Part of this was the abysmally poor academic performances of the state’s candidates in annual external examinations, to the extent that it was becoming increasingly difficult for the state’s candidates to fill their allotted spaces for admission in federal tertiary institutions, due to dwindling performances. Also, admission into state-owned institutions became difficult due to much the same reasons. As a result, rate of dropout became very high. This presented a sharp deviation from long-known traditions whereby our state was one of the leading light in the area of Western Education in the nation.

Fortunately, the coming on board of the Aregbesola was a timely development; which brought with it timely relief to all and sundry in the state. Rather than moaning and groaning under the yoke of the colossal loss suffered by the state and its people over the years, the progressive and dynamic administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola knew what to do and when exactly to act. This, according to Otunba Lai Oyeduntan, the Chairman of O’SCOOLS, in a recent interview with our crew was due to long time of planning and deep-seated interest which the Symbol of the struggle for the revival of Osun, Ogbeni Aregbesola has in the education of youths in the state and bringing back quality to it. Talking on the factors which provided impetus for the first ever State of Osun Education Summit; and which added credence to the O’SCHOOLS project, Oyeduntan attributes the decisive steps taken so far and the huge success recorded to early recognition of requisite elements for effective learning, accurate diagnosis of the affliction which had bedeviled the sub-sector and recognition and

“Well, I’m sorry to say that I’m not aware that anybody has criticized that summit. I have not seen any fellow doing that! The summit was widely attended. It was widely graced from all over the world by people who are knowledgeable in education, policies, and even in intellectual aspect of it. I am going to answer that question simply because I was involved, both in planning and implementation; and the after-effects. How did we come about the summit?

Long before Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola came into office, right from the moment he indicated interest and was given the ticket to contest, he had shown a lot of interest in education. As far back as 2004, he sponsored a remedial programme for Osun boys and girls preparing for external examinations. That time, 2,000 candidates were involved.

Extra-mural classes were organized in Osogbo, in Iwo, in Ilesa - about 2,500 candidates I think. And Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola picked the bill to fund the classes, paid for their school certificate entry fee and paid them (the candidates) allowances. When the results came, it was disappointing!

It was obvious that there was a lot more wrong with the education sector than trying all these cosmetic approaches for a solution. So between 2005 and 2011, there were so many committees he instituted focusing on education! That is why it was possible that within the first 100 days of his being sworn in, an education committee - a summit chaired by no less a personality than Professor Wole Soyinka took place; inviting resource people from all over the world; many of them, our own people, who had made marks in the United States, in Europe, in the Americas and other parts of the country and Africa. Okay, the summary of the findings at that summit identified that it takes more than the teacher, it takes more than the pupil, it takes more than all of these to have all the impact that it requires to increase the fortunes of the education sector. One of these is that the teacher who will teach must be made more efficient. The students must be well prepared, and of course, the environment must be made more friendly and befitting - more enabling! So, the environment must be properly taken care of and that led to the uniform concept introduced by the Government of the state to encourage and of course to motivate the pupils. Teachers are being recruited and being retrained via programmes of training, retraining and promotion courses. Now, we are talking of the environment - we have the O’MEAL programme, we have O’UNIFORM, even O’TEACHERS, so to say, all came as a result of experts identifying and pointing out the crucial steps to take, to set the sector back on track.”

As a matter of fact, the impact of the incumbent administration on the education terrain of the state has been fat and colossal. Today we see the hand of a government that works in all sectors. With our focus on education, never in the annals of the State of Osun has the education sector fared better than it is doing now!

Following the declaration of a state of emergency in the education industry in the state, the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola swung swiftly into action when in February 2011, the first-ever Education Summit was

•Aregbesola in Okuku feeding fish

put together for the State of Osun. The agenda and thrust of the summit was to actively engage a rich pool of ideas, skills, experiences and expertise of participants; drawn from diverse and related disciplines from Nigeria, Africa and the Diaspora in order to fashion out lasting panacea to the multifaceted hydra headed challenges that had hitherto plagued the sector.

As part of the findings and recommendations of the summit, which was chaired by no less a personality than the academic icon and internationally reputed Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, the teaching-learning environment was identified to be of high preponderating and contributory influence on impact of delivery, efficacy and good outcome. It would not be a mismatch, therefore, to attribute the emergence and/ evolution of the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project, known for short as O’SCHOOLS to the numerous landmark breakthrough achievements of the inaugural Education Summit for the State of Osun held in February 2011.

These points having been asserted and established, we shall now draw our focus back to the exact point where we drew the curtains on our last edition; which is the first part of, and forerunner to this. That point was where we were tracing the purpose of establishment, mandate and strides of the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project (O’SCHOOLS).

ACCORDING to information at the disposal of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine, to achieve the mandate set for it, the O’SCHOOLS committee assumed the ordinary meaning of infrastructure in this context to be, but not limited to: a) School buildings as designed and approved; b) External works as designed and approved; c) Landscaping as designed and approved; d) Furniture for students and staff; e) Library, laboratory and workshop equipments; f) Sporting facilities; and g) Any other facility, structure and equipment that may be considered necessary for effective teaching and learning in the schools.

It was further revealed that the mega schools are intended to be large enough to attract necessary amenities and facilities to make learning and teaching environments more conducive and at par with modern-day schools.

As it was pointed out in the last edition, the O’SCHOOLS project committee is domiciled in the Office of the Governor. Little wonder then that the Governor is found prominently on top of its administrative chart, in the following order: The Governor O’SCHOOLS Committee Chairman Internal Auditors Head, Administration and Supply Head, Technical Department (Planning, Works and Supervision) Others listed on the chart, whose essential services, according to Oyeduntan are crucial to building and construction work anywhere; more so to theon construction Continued page 14

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Hopes, Expectations Rekindled! V

•Ilare Elementary School.

Continued from page 12

and rehabilitation work on hand in the State of Osun are architects, quantity surveyors, surveyors, structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, technical assistants and other support staff. It is the active involvement of this myriad of competent staff that guarantee quality service delivery for the committee on all its projects. Other supportive staff includes secretary, sub-committee and Head, Finance and Accounts.

The organizational imperatives set aside for the team are: · Organizational Flexibility · Technical Capacity · Administrative Capacity · Logistic Supply · Finance The capacity requirements for the O’SCHOOLS project are predicated on the need to accomplish the set mandate efficiently and timeously. In view of the foregoing, the committee needs, at all time to: i. select for governor’s approval the sites for the new schools; ii. select for governor’s approval and after complying with all due process requirements the contractors for the schools; iii. supervise the construction works; iv. certify works done and claimed by all third parties; v. approve and recommend payments for work done and services received by the committee pursuant to its operations; vi. hand over the schools on completion.

To maximize the residual benefits of the huge investment in schools infrastructure to the economy of Osun, the O’SCHOOLS project committee seeks to: · Patronize as much as possible local contractors, labour, material vendors and service providers without compromising quality and standards · Make the project n impetus for capacity building enhancement and expansion as well as development of some strategic industrial and commercial enterprises with enduring beneficiaries Beyond the project, the following are the intentions of the committee: · Visual documentation of the status quo ante of all schools in the state · Proper and complete documentation for all proposed schools · Breakdown of each project sites to its components such that different contractors/service providers e.t.c. can work on different aspects of the whole site · Registration of local suppliers, service providers and contractors · Standardization of materials, services and construction methodology · Effective dissemination of standards and specifications among prospective vendors and contractors · Regular interactive sessions with contractors, vendors and services providers, agents and stakeholders

to share experiences and harmonize practices The prime objective of the O’SCHOOLS project is to ensure that each site is built to conform to the approved designs using approved quality, quantity and standard specifications of materials and process.

Concerning its layers of control, the O’SCHOOLS special presentation contains the following: · O’SCHOOLS Committee: overall day-to-day project management · O’SCHOOLS key men: members supervising projects in federal constituencies · Domestic Technical Staff: Comprising that inhouse technical team of: Architects Engineers Quantity Surveyors and Builders e.t.c. · Has the responsibility for planning day-to-day supervision and quality assurance of works. · Technical Site Supervisor/Clerk of Works: is responsible for the day-to-day quality assurance of works on his site. · Community (CDA) buy in: We plan to explore the possibility of annexing the inherent, loyalty, commitment and goodwill of the community and the party leadership to ensure proper community relations · Each level of supervisory service providers will be remunerated within the range of fees and acceptable –practices in the construction industry. These fees and incidental costs are part of the cost of each site and are recognized in the Bill of Quantities. · The implementation strategy is predicated on a well structured committee with adequate administrative and technical capacity.

In the review and identification of schools for the implementation of the new school structure, there were listed initially 650 elementary schools, 100 middle schools and 50 high schools. In the review and identification of schools for reconstruction and rehabilitation, we have 127 elementary schools, 62 middle schools and 21 high schools.

Also of note is the emphasis given to: · Review and appraisal of designs and prototype · Photo documentation of existing schools · Preliminary technical work · Acquisition of survey plans for high schools · As-Built survey sketch (high school sites) · Topographical survey (high school sites) · Preliminary site work · Demolition and removal of structures on affected sites.

In conclusion, the activities of the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project (O’SCHOOLS) Committee have been that trailed with astonishing impact and landmark monumental imprints. It is indisputable that with its activities and operations still in top gear, our state is clearly heading for the golden heights dreamt and

designed for it by its founding fathers. This view becomes established in one of the responses of Otunba Oyeduntan to our numerous questions. Asked if the figures released for the units of school buildings to be constructed were the maximum, the Chairman responded: “There is no maximum figure, and governance is a continuum. That means until all schools are brought up to par with the set standards, government should not relent in this direction. So we designed and redesigned our schools and they have not changed within the funding capacity of the government. Since funding is limited, we can now only go for what the government can afford and that is why we are limiting our projections to the stated figures. Well, I have this to say that no school project is being left untouched, why? It is because the concept of dilapidation and reconstruction is precise. Every school taken into consideration will not be abandoned.”

Time and again during the years gone by, we brought to the fore the numerous achievements of the incumbent administration in the state in the aspect of development of schools infrastructure in the state. This is talking in terms of the activities of the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project (O’ SCHOOLS). In September 2013, the first in the numerous ultra-modern schools building projects of the O’ SCHOOLS project was officially commissioned and delivered for use. The Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, the state capital is a 900-seater state-of-the-art complex, which put to rest the insinuations of detractors that all of the school building projects of the administration were destined to be abandoned in the midstream. The school is one out of the fourteen in its category that are being put in place by the Rauf Aregbesola administration in the State of Osun. The school building has since been put to use; while other school building projects initiated by the administration are almost completed / at various stages of completion and almost ready for official commissioning / delivery.

The year 2014 started and ended pretty well indeed!

From the start of the year, the hope had been high that more and more in the line-up of public schools being erected in the state shall be officially commissioned and delivered. This hope has not been betrayed during the first quarter of the year. During the month of February, the first in the list of completed elementary schools in the state was officially commissioned and delivered for use. The Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife, which official commissioning was held on Tuesday February 18 witnessed massive turnout of residents of Ile-Ife, members of the political class and the entire people of the State of Osun – all of who were full of joy and prayers for the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his team. The elementary school is one of the thirteen (13) units of its sort being put in place in the state.

The governor and other members of the State Executive Council present at the occasion of official commissioning Continued on page 15

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osun Defender Tuesday, March

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled! V

•Blocks of shops at Aje International Market, Osogbo.

Continued from page 14

appeared in the uniform of elementary schools in the state; another initiative of the administration.

In his address at the occasion, Governor Aregbesola said: “The ongoing monumental transformation of education in the State of Osun is unstoppable. Nobody can stop us.

“Even if we have to step on toes, we shall continue to build a solid future for generations yet unborn. The school is not for Muslims, Christians or traditionalists but rather for the people of the State of Osun.

The education of our children must be taken seriously and we must not play pranks with it under any guise to secure the future of our state and society at large” In renewing his affirmation for the turnaround of the education sub-sector of the state, Aregbesola stated that the vision of his administration was to build an educational system that would produce great men and women in the society. In addition to the afore-mentioned data of thirteen (13) elementary school and fourteen (14) middle school building projects, there are still twelve units of high school building projects ongoing in the state. The governor however promised the delivery and official commissioning of all the projects before the end of his administration’s tenure of office.

In his graphical analysis conducted at the occasion, Governor Aregbesola made it known that his administration was spending on annual basis a whooping sum of N27.1 Billion on teachers’ salaries and pension, while the Opon Imo project had so far gulped N1.2 Billion. He put the capital expenditure so far on education at N31. 1 Billion.

In her earlier speech at the occasion, the Deputy Governor of the State of Osun, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education, Otunba (Mrs.) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori revealed that the school has twenty-five (25) classrooms, with capacity to accommodate one-thousand (1,000) pupils with other modern facilities like two (2) staff common rooms, one (1) office each for the headmaster and assistant headmaster, and a dining room. Others are modern sports field, and other features that make the school able to compete favourably with private schools anywhere in the contemporary Nigeria. She further had the following to say: “The school symbolizes possibilities and that change is inevitable. Despite the fact that some people are mischievous about the project, the government is right on top of the situation and we shall continue to work towards better future for our children” Consequent to the first-ever Education Summit held for the State of Osun referred to above, there was conducted a wide-covering inspection of schools and their facilities throughout the state; as well as requisition given to all principals and head teachers to give the roll of dilapidated structures in their respective schools; so as to give government the cues to follow in its demolition cum reconstruction bids via the instrumentality of the

State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project Committee (O’SCHOOLS). The committee, an intervention initiative of the incumbent administration aimed at reducing and even totally eradicating the untold risks of life to which users of the infrastructure (teachers and pupils alike) had been hitherto exposed. According to the Chairman of the committee, Otunba Lai Oyeduntan, by the end of the administration’s first tenure in office, most of the newly reconstructed school buildings shall have been delivered, completed and ready for official commissioning.

This feat has been achieved as at date. As at the time of toll-taking and commencement of the reconstruction work, nothing less than four thousand and fifty-five (4,055) dangerously dilapidated structures had been demolished throughout the entire public schools in the state, as they constitute terrible risks to the lives of their users.

Responding to questions bordering on allegations of indiscriminate demolition of school building structures from the camp of die-hard opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); the Chairman made it known that there were only few cases of wholesale demolition of structures; which was carried out only in places where the schools were billed for immediate reconstruction. In furtherance of his exposition, Oyeduntan revealed that there were only twenty-four (24) of such cases. It was also emphasized by the chairman that there was no case of demolition that was not immediately replaced with outright reconstruction of a modern, state-of-the-art classroom building.

According to Oyeduntan, one of the major motives which served as impetus for the massive reconstruction of schools in the state; apart from saving the lives of users from the horrendous fangs of dilapidated structures was to make our school structures, furniture and other infrastructure compliant with the standards and requirements of the Twentieth Century. This goal is also being currently achieved.

Other achievements of the government of the day through the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure include the massive use of local contents – local contractors, local suppliers of materials, local patronage of suppliers through procurement of manufactured materials from their sellers within the state; as well as the productive engagement of craftsmen and artisans with a view to injecting enormous cash into the economy of the state for the betterment of all. According to him, as the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) has been injecting about N200 Million into the economy of the state on monthly basis; so the O’SCHOOLS is doing valiantly to wrestle the state and its residents from poverty, penury, sloth and woe.

As mentioned earlier on, the first fruit of dividends in this regard came about with the official commissioning of the Salvation Army Middle School, located at the Oke Fia / Alekuwodo area of Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun. That was done in September 2013. Second was the commissioning in February of 2014 of Baptist Central

Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife. During the month of March, same year, another ultra-modern school building project in the category of elementary school, the A.U.D. Government Elementary School, Isale-Agbara, Isale-Osun, Osogbo was officially commissioned. More recently, more and more of these projects have been commissioned in Ikirun, Ila, Iwo, Ikire and other parts of the state. The events of last year’s fourth year anniversary of the administration and the accompanying celebrations of the re-inauguration of Ogbeni certainly witnessed the official commissioning of more of these projects. The list is still counting! This rate of completion has put wagging tongues into silence. It is sure that many more in the list of schools infrastructure projects, especially those located in Osogbo, Iwo, Ede, Ejigbo and other parts of the state shall soon mature for official commissioning.

The series continues from here to give consummate consideration to other intricate aspects of the giant strides of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the few editions to come. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine however implores the people to keep date with the administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and vote massively for the House of Assembly member candidates of the party in the state in the forthcoming April 11 State House of Assembly Elections; as this shall bring consummation to the God-given victory we won last year.

God bless the State of Osun.

To be continued.

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osun Defender Tuesday, March

Buhari’s Massive Votes In Osun Continued from back page

adults of voting age who were set to keep appointment with democracy and destiny.

The streets, including the stretch of major roads across the capital of the State of Osun and other parts of the state were bereft of vehicular movement, save for few vehicles on election and / or other critical assignments like ambulances, security operations, fire fighting and others.

The pedestrians, who dominated the scenery of streets were businesslike, as they took determines steps to use their thumbs to influence their destinies. Not even the fear of uncertainties of failure of recognition of smart card readers deterred them.

The determination was strong, to the extent that a meticulous over-hearer could guess what party or who among the contestants, the likely choices and preferences of certain groups were.

As at 8 o’clock, queues were formed for accreditation. These queues were of varying lengths.

At some polling units like the one at Baruwa Junction and few others around Onward Area, the lines were amazingly long. Surprisingly however, there were no unwarranted struggles, scrambling or breaking of ranks. The events of accreditation went on in an orderly fashion.

At Aregbe Bus Stop Area in Gbodofon Area, it was a peaceful atmosphere that pervaded the air.

The weather of that morning was generally clement, as the cloudy sky suggestive of impending rain gave way into a bright sunny day.

On and on, the serenity continued to Olaiya, through the famous Old Garage Area to Ayetoro Area. At Olaiya end, curiosity took OSUN DEFENDER crew to the Baptist Primary School at the precincts of the Union Baptist Church, OdiOlowo. Inside the premises of that school were two separate polling units. Both units were filled to capacity. However, there were no struggles or wrangling. People conducted their affairs in an orderly way.

Back to the premises of St. James African Primary School at Gbodofon, the spacious arena was moderately populated with prospective voters, who waited patiently for their turns to fulfill the vital obligation. Inside that spacious premises too, there were two polling units.

The events at the two voting points were conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner. On and on the crew went to places along Odi-Olowo / Asubiaro / Isale Osun areas. The events were good and voting went on free, fair, transparent, orderly and credible.

When accreditation exercise was through, lots of people were seen waiting enthusiastically; not minding the scorching sun, for the approach of the 1:00 o’clock

•buhari

deadline for arrival for the voting proper. Though some still left for their places of abode either for reasons of some form of engagement or to fill boredom, the polling stations still had people around in considerable numbers.

During the periods already mentioned; even as long as voting exercises lasted, lots of categories of voting umpires and officials were seen plying all the voting units, inspecting the exercise and monitoring the entire exercises. Those involved in all these overseeing activities included law enforcement agents, security operatives, election monitors (local and / or foreign), civil liberty groups, delegates of international communities and all other manners of dignitaries.

As at one o’clock, preliminary talks commenced at many centres; consisting in enlightening the electorate on the nitty-gritty of conducting the next phase. It regards the manner of thumb-printing, dropping the respective thumb-printed ballot papers in the correct ballot boxes and the process of waiting the time of vote-counting.

It is highly commendable and worthy of note that in all voting units visited by OSUN DEFENDER crew, there were no cases of violence or disturbances whatsoever, save for an attempted case of violence at Unit 8 of Ward 4, Osogbo Local Government stationed at the afore-mentioned St. James’ African

•jonathan

Primary School, Gbodofon, where prompt intervention of elders at the scene averted further degeneration prior to the arrival and intervention of law enforcement agents.

Much earlier, the smart card readers were used at all visited polling units on accredited voters during the accreditation stage.

There were no hiccups or noticed lapses; neither were there reported or noticed cases of failure in the performances of the devise. Voters were accredited in turns, and they all spoke in applause of the newly-introduced devise. Part of added strengths noticed in the devise is the length of duration of its battery.

There was no observed battery failure for any of the devise while the accreditation lasted; neither were there cases of failure to recognize cards or thumbprints as complained in some places.

At the end of the entire exercise, precisely at around 5 o’clock in the evening votes were sorted, separated and counted in the full glare of all present electorate and with their full participation in the process of counting. It was with no fight nor expressed acrimony that the results were accepted.

At both polling points at St. James’ African School at Gbodofon, i.e. units 7 and 8 of Ward 4, Osogbo Local Government Council Area; the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious with a landslide margin. At the time

the rigorous exercise ended, the bright sunny day was already giving way for twilight. Figuratively, the dusk of that evening heralded the fading of the glory of some conscienceless powers-that-be; who the results of the just-concluded elections were destined to depose from office.

The elections for the day were held for the highest political office in the government of the land, that is, the highly esteemed office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; and legislative offices of senators and honourable members of the Federal House of Representatives.

As at around 7 o’clock in the evening, many of the polling units around Ogo-Oluwa area of Osogbo, state capital of Osun, were either still voting or busy counting votes. The attitudes of residents of houses around the polling units reflected demonstration of maximum cooperation; without suggesting undue influence, prejudice or attempt at scuttling the transparency of the process.

As at the time of compiling this report, the central counting and collation processes of both elections in the state were yet to be completed.

However, all indications point to the fact that the pendulum of victory is swinging toward the direction of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Tuesday, march 31, 2015

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AD it been easy to smoothly conduct three rounds of general elections in a fell swoop, count, collate and declare the results in quick and smooth succession by appropriate authorities within twenty-four hours of successful conduct, then the people of the State of Osun would have been all out on Sunday, waving their victor’s palm for the divine intervention that brought success their way at the polls.

All the same, the people had a good Palm Sunday, even in the absence of a fully authenticated result, as they thanked God for a peaceful experience at the polls. Reported cases of pockets of violence and hiccups in some parts of the state regardless; the Election Day went, on the overall, down the record as the day that the people expressed their franchise as guaranteed in the constitution of the land without harassment, panics, intimidation and threat. Thanks to the Almighty God for answered prayers. Thanks to God for the gift of vigilance.

Many were the antics of the main opposition, but God revealed, exposed and exhausted them all prior to the d-day.

In many ways, March the 28 and the days preceding it were remarkably different from the days preceding the August 9 Gubernatorial Election of last year. It was expectedly so. Predictions had gone ahead of that day concerning how events would unfold and how voting would play out. One of the bases for the multifarious hypotheses is the fact that unlike the last August 9 experience when providence and destiny singled out the State of Osun for an election that would have come up in the next fortnight, the election of few days ago went on simultaneously in all the states of the federation – the Federal Capital Territory inclusive. The implication of this is that the huge presence of security apparatus drafted to the state for apparently sinister motives a week ahead of last year’s polls was logically and practically impossible for the kind and magnitude of election under review. Another inference deductible from the predictions is that the spate of indiscriminate arrest of singled-out actual and perceived members of the opposition by the instrumentalities of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its high-handed presidency was now absent. It would be remembered that

By niyi olasinde

Buhari’s Massive Votes In Osun

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almost two days to the last year August 9 Gubernatorial Elections in the state, the dare-devil black-clothed marauders, mostly masked and veiled and armed to the tooth, invaded the residences of their adjudged political adversaries and effected lots of serial arrests; apparently aimed at inflicting palpable fear in prospective voters and preventing their victims from exercising their franchise as provided in the laws of the land, It is fortunate that the elections held last year came and left in the way they unfolded. More fortunate is the reality that the Gubernatorial Elections came as eye-opener to how deadly and desperate the main opposition can be! Earlier than that

election last year, a similar election took place in the neighbouring Ekiti State; which was destined to be a harbinger to what may likely unfold in the State of Osun. Thank goodness! The Ekiti experience birthed developments replete with experiences which prepared the minds of Osun leadership and citizenry toward what was likely to be expected from their own turn of elections scheduled for less than two months afterwards.

Last year’s Guber’ Polls in the State of Osun left after it indelible tracks and footprints that can hardly be covered. It came to make stronger and consolidate our practice and assimilation of democracy.

The way it went, it approved and

reinvigorated our perception of what our duties and responsibilities should be; especially in times when fresh choices are about to be made into public offices. As a matter of fact, the series of experience garnered last year could be most easily likened to the Biblical proverb of purification therapy for raw gold, which process deserves its being made to pass through the fiery furnace. The people of Osun, and discerning others across Nigeria were unconsciously prepared to confront and resist, without the counter opposition of the force of arms any manipulative tendencies of the opposition, its Federal Government and their agents to suppress the legitimate expression and manifestation of the collective will of the people expressed through the power of the thumb.

The way the first batch of this year’s (2015) General Elections turned out more than suggested, but gave express assurance to it that an end is in view to many of the inadequacies that had long beset the nations’ democratic move. The impressive turnout for the polls and the peaceful and orderly conduct of the electorate as observes are clear attestations to this claim.

THE experiences of last Saturday’s elections are a proof enough to the fact that finally; democracy has come to stay in our strands. Since 7: 00 o’clock in the evening of the eve to the election, the metropolis of Osogbo, the state capital had begun to register the arrival of yet another event, which promised to be an epoch opening up fresh positive destinies for residents: indigenes and non-indigenes alike. Weeks to the election date, preparations had been observed to be going on among residents of the state capital and other parts of the state, regarding uncertainties surrounding what the likely outcome of the elections may be.

No sooner had the Election Day set out than indications started to attest to it that much of the fears and apprehension that the people nursed may not come into manifestation.

As early as the break of day, people started to troop out, in apparent move to get to their polling units in good time. A walk through all the areas adjoining both sides of Gbongan / Ibadan Road at Ogo Oluwa / Africa / Ataoja Axis of the state capital found out that the residents found on the streets constituted Continued on pagemainly 15

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Managing Editor, Kola Olabisi, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail:

osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.