The Police and other security agencies are reportedly denying observers and other accredited media houses access to Ifon polling units in Orolu LGA.
Premium Times in its live reportage of the election said that one Rukayat Ahmodu, an observer for CLEEN foundation was turned back by police and other security agencies from entering Orolu.
“We got there at 6:30am, they took us to the police station and later brought us to a junction. They said we are not allowed inside the centres,” Ms Ahmodu said.
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Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said it would intervene in the reported cases of election observers and accredited media ” being arrested or prevented from operating in some polling units” in the Osun rerun election.
WuzupNaija had earlier reported that hoodlums and security agents are disrupting voting in some polling units.
Reacting to the allegation, the electoral umpire wrote on Twitter,
INEC is disturbed about reports that accredited media and observers are being arrested or prevented from operating in some polling units. This is being taken up with the security agencies”.
WuzupNaija recalls that INEC had declared the September 22 Osun governorship election inconclusive and ordered a rerun because the number of cancelled votes was higher than the margin between the two top candidates.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke, was leading with 254,698 votes, while his closest rival of All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola, had 254,345 votes, a difference of 353 votes.
The margin was, however, less than the 3,498 votes in the polling units where voting was cancelled.
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Consequently, the INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joseph Afuwape, declared the poll inconclusive and ordered a re-run.
“Unfortunately as the returning officer, it is not possible to declare any party as clear winner of this election at the first ballot,” Afuwape said.
