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BVAS Will Retire Fraudulent Politicians - Osun REC •Says 394, 880 PVCs Yet To Be Collected In The State
THE Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) in the State of Osun, Dr Muu Agboke, has said that using the Bimodal Voter Accredita on System (BVAS) will re re all fraudulent policians in future elec ons.
Agboke stated this on Wednesday in Osogbo, the state capital at the forum for Strategic Dialogue Between Chris an and Muslim Religious Leaders with the commission.
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The programme was organised by a faith based organisa on, Jus ce Development and Peace Makers’ Centre (JDPMC).
Agboke said that BVAS will be used for both accredita on and transmission of the results at the polling units, sta ng that no electorate will be allowed to vote without being accredited with BVAS.
He charged the religious leaders to educate the electorate to be part of elec oneering process in their various communi es, to ensure that nobody bypasses the BVAS accredita on during the elec on.
The REC also restated that the commission will deploy security agencies that will monitor vote buyers and sellers on elec on days.
He, however, called on religious leaders to use their pla orm to preach against vote buying and violence during and a er the elecons.
Agboke said “I enjoin everyone to be part of this process by repor ng those that always disrupt elec on and cause violence on elecon day. Let’s stay back after our vote and get the total number of accredita on and votes cast in our polling units before leaving.
“Any polling unit with interrup on of votes, destrucon on the elec on will record zero vote.
“We will arrest and shame anyone caught selling their PVC to others. We will also deal with vote buyers on elec on day.
“The total number of those who have collected their Permanent Voters Cards, (PVC) in Osun State is 1,560,777, while those who are yet to collect their PVCs are 394,880.
“Most of the uncollected PVC are the old cards. Some of the owners of these cards have relocated without process of the transfer of their cards.”
The Grand Imam of the state, Shaikh Musa Animasahun, represented by the Special Assistant to the Grand Imam, Alfa Abdusalam Akinwumi and the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, Bishop John Oyejola, urged those who are yet to collect their PVC to do the needful for them to be able to choose their leaders.
They warned poli cians to desist from using thugs to disrupt elec on, just as they called for peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elecons.
Speaking at the programme, the Coordinator of Jus ce Development and Peace Makers’ Centre, (JDPMC), Rev. Father Peter Akinkunmi, explained that the forum was called for spiritual leaders to have clearer insight and understand direc on as Nigeria is preparing for the general elec on.
Akinkunmi stressed that it is very important that everyone is carried along, especially strategic stakeholders in the society. He said: “In Osun state, we know that spiritual leaders have the heart and mind of the people. A lot is going on in the media and communi es sensi sa on. But we know how wonderful and powerful it could be if the spiritual leaders are completely involved in the process of sensi sa on and mobilising people ahead of the coming elec on.
“We call for solidarity with the Persons with Dis- ability in the process of PVC collec on. Let all ci zens be generous in giving them priority on queues and all forms of support necessary to ensure that they are disenfranchised ahead of the elec on.
“We make special appeal to INEC to ensure that through credible data disaggrega on, it is able to deploy appropriate support materials needed by persons with disability such as blindness and albinism to the very PU where they have registered.
“Finally, we are confi- dent that religious leaders would intensify their various efforts in using the religious pla orm for sensi sa on and voter educa on ahead of the elec on.
“In compliance, however with the electoral law, let it be noted that religious centres can only educate the people on how and not who to vote. As we draw closer to the elec ons, JDPMC shall con nue to further her collabora on with all people of goodwill to work for a peaceful, inclusive and credible elec on in 2023.”
Kidnapping, Political Violence On The Rise In Osun
Continued from page 4 tered about the development, descried the poli cs of destruc on, in mida on and violence allegedly being played by a na onal assembly candidate of the party in the area.
OSUN DEFENDER also noted that some of the campaign billboards of Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, the Osun East Senatorial candidate of the APC, in Ilesa have also been destroyed.
It would be recalled that the lawmaker represen ng Ijesa South Federal Cons tuency at the House of Representaves, Hon. Babatunde Ayeni, had two weeks ago raised the alarm over the spate of poli cal violence in Ijesaland.
Ayeni noted that conduc ng elec on in the part of the state might be difficult if the trend is not checked.
The lawmaker who called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to wade in on the recent a ack on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijesaland, said the polical violence in the area was becoming worrisome and needed urgent security a en on.
CSO Decries Violence, Calls On Policians To Play By The Rules
A civil society group, the Peoples’ Advocates, has decried spate of poli cal violence in the state, calling on security agencies to live up to expecta ons and as a ma er of duty restore sanity in to the poli cal system.
The group, in a press statement, signed by its
Chairman and Secretary, Barr. Bayo Alade and Comr. Jolapamo Bolanle, respec vely condemned a acks on persons and facili es and proper es of poli cal opponents in the state.
The statement reads in part: “The recent report by an intelligence group (SMB intelligence) that rated Osun as the state with highest polical violence case in 2022 is disturbing.
“It is even more alarming going by the trend of poli cal violence cases like disrup on of campaign billboards, attack on poli cal offices, among others that have been reported in the state just 15 days into 2023 and few weeks to the February general elec ons.
“We call on all polical actors in the state to play be the rule and excuse violence. We equally charge the security agencies in the state to be up and doing. Osun had been rated as third most peaceful state in Nigeria before, descending from that ladder should be a cause of concern for every stakeholder.”
UTHMAN BASHIRAT