Guber Poll: Osun Rec Commends Party Primaries, As HFDI Educates Women On Electoral Processes

Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje has commended political parties in the state for conducting violence free party primary elections.

Speaking during an advocacy visit by Hope for Family Development Health Initiative, (HFDI) an NGO working against violence against women, Agbaje noted that even with pockets of complaints by aggrieved members, there is commendable maturity by concerned parties.

According to him, out of the 15,000 ad-hoc staff needed for the election, over 13,000 of them are already secured with 8,000 from NYSC, thousands from other Federal government establishment such as staff of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Federal Polytechnic Ede, and other agencies of Federal government in the state.

Agbaje noted that the beauty of drafting these matured minds into the system unlike the time when secondary school dropout are employed is assurance of credible election.

The REC who lamented voting apathy in Nigeria, said to encourage mass participation of electorate and ensure a violence free electoral process, accreditation and voting are to take place simultaneously.

Mr Agbaje gave assurance that the commission is fully prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible election adding that the commission has taken delivery of 95% of the permanent voters card for the election.

He called on the electorate to harm themselves with their PVC saying that it is the weapon that would be used by the electorate to elect their preferred candidate.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Hope for Family Health Initiative, Mr. Stephen Akinyemi Aremu had expressed the preparedness of the NGO to collaborate with INEC towards ensuring a violence free elections in Osun State

As part of the effort, Aremu invited the Commissioner to present a lecture at a advocacy gathering slated for August 7, this year in Osogbo, the state capital.

He observed that women are more vulnerable to violence and therefore deserve special attention to encourage them to come out for voting on election days.

Speaking, leader, Women Electoral Committee, Evangelist Mrs Hannah Akinlabi urged women across the state to resist all forms of intimidation harassment and ensure they come out end masses and cast their vote for the candidate of their choice in September 22 gubernatorial election.

Mrs Akinlabi who sought the support of the commission in their bid to sensitise the women on the need to participate actively in the coming gubernatorial election said the they were in the state to also educate electorates on what constitutes Violence Against Women in Election (VAWIE).

She said : ” The projects objectives are to track incidences of electoral violence against women in the 2018 gubernatorial election and to make deferrals where appropriate, for further action by the police and legal service organizations.

Some of the highlighted local government areas to mobilise women’s participation during the forthcoming governorship election according to Mrs Akinlabi are ; Iwo, Ayadaade, Ife East, Ife South, Olaoluwa, Odo-Otin Ifedayo, Ejigbo, Egbedore and Irewole, Ife Central , Ilesa East, Atakunmosa East and Olorunda

She therefore charged women who are yet to collect their PVC to do so as to be able to exercise their civic right.