*to deploy 60 observers
The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has said it expects that the success recorded with the deployment of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (B-VAS) in the Ekiti election should be replicated in the July 16 governorship election in Osun State.
The CTA which said it will deploy 60 election observers to the 30 local government areas of the state for the polls, said it also expects the security agencies to display same professionalism it exhibited in Ekiti at the forthcoming Osun election.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting Osogbo ahead of the governorship election, CTA executive director, Faith Nwadishi said the success of the just concluded Ekiti election was attested to by both domestic and foreign observers.
Nwadishi however, decried what she described as a dangerous trend of vote trading in our elections, saying that the last election in Ekiti State was a sad signpost of infamy where citizens shamelessly traded their votes for money and one pack of spaghetti.
She said this is not what we expect in Osun State., urging the electorates to make a difference by rejecting to sell their votes and only vote for their choice candidates.
According to the CTA boss, the role of citizens and stakeholders in the electoral process is important and critical to the success of any election.
She encouraged politicians to campaign without acrimony but discuss issues relevant to the well-being of citizens, convince citizens to cast their votes in good conscience without inducing voters with money or commodities.
Nwadishi said every stakeholder has a critical role to play to engender better democratic practices, which in turn will help the Electoral Umpire to fashion a credible pathway to elections and the electoral process.
She said, “It is imperative, therefore, that every one of us here today must play our part. That is what it is, and that is what it should be. The participants are carefully selected to represent all critical areas of the citizenry who are the actual CEOs in the electoral process.
“We recognize the important role you play as citizens and stakeholders, with equal stake in the political events in our state hence, transparency should be the hallmark of every group, agency, individuals, the media, security agencies, civil society and citizens that will be involved in the conduct of this election on July 16, 2022.
