The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Dr Adeniran Tella has declared that, the disruption of the electoral process on Feb. 25 by some suspected hoodlums in two polling units of Oluyole and Ibadan North East/South-East Federal Constituencies was the reason for supplementary election in the affected polling units.
Dr Tella, who made the clarifications on Monday at the fourth Annual Ramadan Lecture series held within the premises of the commission’s headquarters in Ibadan.
The Ramadan lecture, which focus on the concept of “Good Governance – Islamic Perspective”.
According to him, the conduct of the supplementary election also became necessary as a result of failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“As a result of the above, the margin of lead between the two leading candidates remained very low compared to the total number of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected in the affected polling units, hence, there is inconclusiveness,” he said.
Tella urged all stakeholders in the affected constituencies, especially the candidates, to conduct themselves in an orderly manner during the election.
He said that security agencies have assured members of the public of adequate and maximum security.
The REC said that the commission was ready to conduct free, fair and credible election in the affected two areas.
On theme of the Ramadan Lecture, he said: “Good governance is indeed the collective efforts of all of us, especially critical stakeholders in the electioneering process.
“Good governance means that the process and political institutions must, as a matter of fact, produce positive results that will meet the yearnings and needs of the society, while making the best use of the resources at their disposal.”
The Guest Lecturer, Sheikh Buhari Omo-Musa, said that provision of good governance by those in position of authority would reduce unemployment, insecurity, bad economy and other challenges facing the country.
Omo-Musa urged Muslim faithful to always keep to their promises and emulate Prophet Muhammad by living peacefully with their neighbours.
He further implored parents and guardians to give their children and wards good education to enable their children to have a better future.
Also, Chief Mustapha Oyero, a former staff of INEC, urged Muslim faithful to observe the Ramadan as laid down in the Qur’an.
Oyero described Ramadan period as the holiest month in Islamic calendar, assuring Muslim faithful that the gains of the month would be theirs, if they observed Ramadan as expected of them.
