No room for vote buying in Osun election – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said it will not allow any form of electoral fraud in the Osun State governorship election.

The state is expected to go to poll on September 22.

The commission said the Osun governorship election will be used to send a strong message to vote traders ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The Osun State governorship election must be used to send a very strong message to vote buyers and sellers as well as other perpetrators of criminal activities during elections,” the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, said in the sensitisation forum for media executives and reporters ahead of the state’s election

The REC’s speech was read at the forum by the Director of Voter Education, Venerable Stephen Ojewande.

Abaje also pledged that the commission will maintain its objectivity towards all the 48 political parties and candidates contesting in the election.

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the media were critical stakeholders with the INEC, saying journalists were key to the success of any election.

He also warned that any INEC official caught engaged in any fraudulent act would be punished according to the law.

This is coming after the Nigeria Police Force on Friday announced it has deployed eight of its commissioners to oversee security functions during the election.