Osun Voters Foil Collation Centre Manipulation, Say Rufai, Farotimi

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Osun voters came prepared to stop rigging during the collation of results in Saturday's governorship election, media personalities Oseni Rufai and Dele Farotimi have said. They credited the vigilance of voters for preventing alleged manipulation at collation centres.

Farotimi, a vocal critic of electoral malpractice, made the observation in a post on his X handle on Sunday while commenting on the participation of Nigerian celebrities in the election. He said the involvement of celebrities in the electoral process demonstrated the influence they could wield in shaping public discourse and encouraging civic participation. 'Voltrons will not save Nigeria, but the choice to be silent when you have a voice, is a choice to be aligned with evil,' Farotimi wrote.

Commenting on Afrobeat singer Davido's involvement in the Osun election, Farotimi said the singer's participation might have been motivated by interests beyond altruism but nonetheless demonstrated the influence celebrities could have on political issues. 'Davido's involvement in the Osun election is anything but altruistic, but it does prove the point: Nigerian celebrities have major voices,' he said.

Rufai Oseni also reacted to the conduct of the election, saying the vigilance of voters in Osun had helped prevent manipulation during the collation process. He said the collation stage remained particularly important because of the potential for electoral malpractice. 'Most elections are rigged at the collation centres,' Rufai wrote. 'The Osun people came prepared and ensured that didn’t happen,' he added.

Their comments came as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concluded the collation of results from the 30 local government areas of the state. The election featured 13 governorship candidates, with the contest largely dominated by Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

The Osun governorship election was a closely contested poll, with various candidates vying for the seat. Governor Adeleke, a veteran politician, had been re-elected, but the margin of victory was slim. The election was seen as a test of the ruling party's strength in the state.

In a series of posts on his social media handles, Farotimi expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the election, praising the Osun people for their vigilance and participation in the electoral process.

Rufai also lauded the Osun voters for their role in preventing alleged manipulation at the collation centres. He stated that the election was a major improvement over previous polls in the state.

The Osun governorship election was a significant event in Nigeria's electoral calendar, with various stakeholders watching with bated breath as the results were collated.