By Adewale Olayemi
The Conference of Registered Political Parties, Osun state chapter has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare Senator Ademola Adeleke as the Governor-Elect of Osun state having won the majority of the lawful votes and fulfilled the constitutional requirements in line with the result declared by the electoral body.
In a media statement released Tuesday and signed by the chairman of CRRP, Adekunle Rufai Omo Aje, the organization frowned at the misuse of the discretionary power of the Returning Officer by declaring the election inconclusive.
For the CRPP, the action of INEC amounted to, ” a travesty of justice and a rape of our electoral process where the bar is lowered when some favoured individuals are concerned and raised when others are affected. We strongly believe that what is sauce for the goose , should also be sauce for the gander” the statement added.
Citing relevant sections of the constitution on declaration of results, the body insisted the failure of the electoral body to declare Senator Adeleke as the duly elected governor was in clear violation of Section 69 of the Electoral Act 2010 [2015 as amended], Sections 133, 134, and 179 [2] which are unambiguous as per the conditions that must be met by a candidate in an election to be declared winner.
The body noted that the quest by Nigerians to make the country safe for democracy will be truncated if double standards and subversion of the will of the electorates and the laws of the country is promoted by those in political authority.
Consequently, the CRPP urged INEC to correct its obvious mistake of declaring the September 22 gubernatorial election in Osun state inconclusive and without further delay announce Senator Ademola Adeleke as the duly elected governor of Osun state. ”It is not too late for INEC to do the needful by correcting this glaring anomaly. If we, as a people, are desirous of building democracy and make it safe in this clime, we should be mindful of the fact that members of the international community were on ground to observe last Saturday’s election. We should not be seen as condoning situations that will make us a laughing stock before the international community”, the statement added.
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