900 Fully Armed SSS Operatives Depolyed For Osun Governorship Elections.

Ahead the conduct of the August 9, governorship poll in Osun, fully armed operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS), numbering about 900, on Tuesday and Wednesday, stormed Osogbo, the state capital.

Nigerian Tribune authoritatively gathered that the deployment of the DSS officials, including young ladies, was part of the security measures aimed at ensuring a hitch-free conduct of the election. They were armed to the teeth.

Our correspondent sighted some of the DSS operatives in Toyota Hiace buses and Toyota Hilux vans, on Tuesday, driving round Osogbo, the state capital.

They are likely to drive round other major towns in the state in the next couple of days, according to a source in Abuja.

Similarly, on Wednesday some of them also arrived the state capital, converging on the frontage of their headquarters in the state, situated along Gbongan-Ibadan expressway.

A source, who craved anonymity informed the Nigerian Tribune that “this is part of the preparation to ensure efficient security of lives and property before, during and after the conduct of the crucial election.”

“No stone would be left unturned to protect the electorate, including the generality of the people of Osun State, irrespective of political groupings, ethnic and religious colorations. The DSS officials you see would work in collaboration with other security agencies in ensuring a peaceful and violent-free election on August 9,” he added.

Under supply of electoral materials: APC’s allegation, baseless —INEC

With less than 10 days to the conduct of August 9 governorship election in Osun, the authorities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the state, on Wednesday ,described as a ruse and baseless allegation that it was planning to under supply electoral materials to some selected communities.

In a press statement issued by the Chief Public Affairs Officer (CPAO) of INEC in Osun, Mrs F. Adenike Tadese, the umpire said such allegation was not only misleading, but also laughable, considering the unshaken commitment of the electoral umpire to conduct a free and fair and most acceptable governorship poll in the state.

Apparently reacting to the recent allegation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) ,that INEC had concluded plans to under supply designated communities where the party has stronghold, including Ilesa, the country home of its candidate, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, the statement stressed that “INEC wishes to assure the good people of the state that the commission will not disenfranchise eligible voters irrespective of political affiliations from exercising their franchise on August 9”.

It reads in part, “this has become imperative to clear the allegation of misinformation currently in circulation to under supply electoral materials to some areas during the election”.

“INEC wishes to reiterate that adequate and sufficient provisions have been put in place in terms of deployment of electoral materials to cover all the 3,010 polling units on the election day”.

While assuring that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ,was an ongoing exercise, the statement added that “those who are yet to collect their PVCs should avail themselves the opportunity of collecting it at INEC offices”, disclosing that “deadline for collection is August 4, 2014”.



Culled from Tribune