INEC fixes Thursday for Osun governorship rerun as it declares election inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Thursday, September 27, as the date for the governorship rerun election in Osun state.

The new date is occasioned by the declaration of Saturday’s exercise as inconclusive.

Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had polled 254,699 ahead of Isiaka Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who had 254,345 votes.

Joseph Afuwape, INEC’s returning officer, had said since the total number of cancelled votes, 3,498, exceeds the difference between the two leading parties (353), it was impossible for any party to be declared as winner.

Afuwape announced that the rerun would take place in Orogun local government area, Ife north and Ife south.

“There was problem of ballot box snatching at unit 001 in Orolu local government and 393 votes were cancelled,” he said.

“At unit 004 of the same LGA, there was also snatching of ballot box, 387 were cancelled. Area 9, unit 003, there were 167 registered voters. So, for Orolu LGA where there was cancellation, we had 947 registered voters.

“At Ife south LGA, there was also cancellation of election due to the problem of card reader malfunctioning, at that unit 010 there were 502 registered voters.

“At Oyere 2, Ife north, we also had cancelled election; 51 people were accredited but there were 200 votes that were cast, with that, there was cancellation due to irregularities, over voting, number of registered voters at that Unit 02 was 535.

“Osogbo unit 017, there was a case of abscondment by the presiding officer, to this effect, election there was cancelled. Number of registered voters 884.”