A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Civil Society Situation Room has called on the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and transparent election during the Osun re-run election.
Mr Clement Nwankwo, Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, made the call in a statement made on Wednesday in Abuja.
Nwankwo stressed the need to manage the election at the remaining seven polling units effectively.
“Situation Room calls on the security services to provide adequate security in these Polling units.
“The Polling Units should be protected from any intimidation, disruption and harassment and security services must be demonstrably non-partisan in their conduct,“ Nwanko said.
Nwankwo said that voters should be free to cast their votes in complete privacy without undue pressure, being watched, or improper interference.
He said that security services should ensure that vote buying was not allowed during the election.
The convener added that all persons seeking to abuse the electoral process through vote buying should be apprehended and charged to court.
Nwankwo said that voters and members of the Situation Room would be observing the polls alongside other local and international observers, to protect the rights of voters.
He said that the Situation Room was made up of CSOs working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria.
The run-off election, scheduled for Sept. 27, was as a result of the inconclusive nature of the last Saturday governorship election in the state.
According to the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, becomes necessary because the margin between the leading candidate 353 votes, which is lower than number of registered voters in the affected areas. (NAN)
