EU, US, UK react to outcome of Osun rerun election

macfranc007 September 30, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Omotayo Yusuf

- The EU, UK and US expressed concern over the Osun rerun election

- They noted that there were reports of intimidation of voter

- They expressed their commitment to supporting free and fair election in Nigeria

The European Union, US and UK have released a joint statement expressing concern over the Osun state gubernatorial rerun election.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetols was declared winner of the election which took place on Thursday, September 27.

There were however reports of intimidation in some of the polling units.

\In the statement released by the EU, UK and UK, they expressed concern over the conduct of the election.

They called for calm and promised to support the country for a free and fair election.

Read the statement below:

Delegations from the Missions of the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States observed the voting in the Osun State re-run election on September 27. We once again commend the vast majority of the voters in the state for exercising their democratic rights peacefully.

In contrast to our overall findings on the vote of September 22, we were concerned to witness widespread incidents of interference and intimidation of voters, journalists, and civil society observers by some political party supporters and security agencies. Many of our findings mirror those of leading civil society groups that observed the election.

We commend the work of INEC leadership during both elections. But it is clear that the neutrality of the security services and responsible conduct by party agents, both inside and outside polling units, will be essential to ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in 2019.

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We continue to call for calm from all stakeholders and urge that any challenges to the election result be made through peaceful and lawful means.

We restate our position of firm neutrality among all parties and candidates. We remain committed to supporting the Nigerian people in seeing free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections.

Meanwhile, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the just concluded Osun gubernatorial election, vowed to use both physical and legal means to upturn the results in his favour.

Adeleke, who made this vow during his first news briefing after the election on Friday in Ede, Osun, lauded Nigerians and members of the media for their enthusiasm in support of the democracy.

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