Osun West By-election: Accreditation, Voting Start Peacefully

Accreditation and voting in the Osun West bye-election have commenced on a peaceful note, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

NAN correspondents monitoring the election across the 10 affected local governments report that the exercise was being conducted in an orderly and peaceful manner.

NAN reports that in  Ede South and North Local Government Areas, INEC ad hoc staff arrived before 8 am while the process commenced on schedule.

The National Conscience Party (NCP) agent at Alajue 1, Ward 4, Unit 10, Mr Abdullai Adewale, commended INEC for arriving at the polling unit on time.

Adewale said the process had been peaceful and smooth.

”For now, the process is free and fair and I hope it will continue till the end of the day.”

At Abogunde Unit 9, Ward 2 in Ede North Local Government Area, where the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Ademola Adeleke, voted at 8.34 am,   accreditation and voting also commenced on a peaceful note.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) agent at the polling unit, Murano Taofeek, who spoke to NAN, said the electoral process was free and fair.

The PDP agent, Bikenny Akanji, also described the process as smooth.

NAN also reports that the turn out of the electorate was impressive in some of the polling units visited.

Voters in Odeomu, Ayedade Local Government,  also turned out for accreditation and voting.

At polling unit 16, Ward five, the INEC presiding officer, Ms  Precious Agbor,  said the card readers were working well.

Agbor said the electoral process was going on smoothly, adding that no incident of violence had been recorded.

The agent of the  APC, Isa Jimoh, and his PDP counterpart, Muhamed Abdulmaleek, confirmed that the process had been smooth.

Two police officers and one NSCDC officer were seen some metres away monitoring the exercise.

Security was also beefed up on major roads in the affected local government areas where the election was taking place.

The election did not affect Osogbo, the state capital,  and shops, as well as markets, were open for business activities.

The election was prompted by the death of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, who was representing the district at the Senate on April 23.

Although 12 political parties are contesting in the bye- election, the two major contenders are the PDP and  APC.

The younger brother of late Isiaka Adeleke, Ademola, is the candidate for the PDP while Mudashiru Husein, who represented the district between 2011 and 2014,  is the candidate of the APC.

NAN