SAN FRANCISCO, September 27, (THEWILL) – The Osun state government has declared Thursday public holiday for the governorship rerun election.
This comes as Joshak Habila, Deputy Inspector General of Police, says the force has got wing of plans to disrupt Thursday’s rerun election.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, Osun state capital, on Wednesday, Habila said the police and security agency would however, not permit any breakdown of law and order during the process.
He said anyone found wanting would be made to face the wrath of the law.
“We have an intelligence report that, there is a grand plan to turn the election gruesomely violent and deadly by arming thugs to unleash mayhem at polling centers,” he said.
“As law enforcement agencies, the police and other security agencies would not permit the breakdown of law and order.
“Those of them preparing for ‘fire for fire’ must be ready to bear the consequences of their actions which are designed to undermine this particular democratic process.
“It should be noted that the Nigeria Police Force will remain proactive and would not rest on its oars in the task to decode the identities of those democratic enemies.
“Residents are requested to be law abiding and go about their lawful duties without fear and with the full assurance of the protection of law abiding citizens and voters who are out there to exercise their franchise.
“The Police and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed to maintain law and order and protect lives and property of residents.
“Troublemakers and other interlopers are warned to keep away from the polling units and indeed from any part of the state. The police and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned to protect lives and property and maintain peace.”
To this end, the state government, in a statement by Sola Fasure, special adviser on media to the governor, said the holiday would give room for public workers to participate in the supplementary election.
The exercise is scheduled to hold in seven polling units across four local government areas.
The affected units are in Ife north, Ife south, Orolu and Osogbo local government areas of the state. The total number of affected voters are 3,498.
Joseph Fuwape, the returning officer, had declared the Saturday governorship election inconclusive after the margin between the two major parties was lesser that the total number of votes cancelled in the affected areas.
Although 48 political parties would partake in the exercise, it is a two-way race between Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
