Two Candidates Withdraw From Osun Governorship Race

Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, yesterday disclosed that two of the candidates for today’s governorship election have quit the race.
Agbaje, who disclosed this in an interview with our reporter in Osogbo yesterday, did not however disclose the identities of the candidates and their parties.
But he said that their decision to quit the race so late amounted to a contravention of the electoral law which stipulates that a candidate cannot pull out less than 25 days to the election.
“What they have done is that they would waste the votes of their supporters who would vote for them,” he said.
Agbaje, however, assured that today’s governorship election will be free and fair, adding that the commissioner had spared no efforts in ensuring a credible free and fair election.
He said that all electoral materials had been distributed and secured while every necessary operation had been carried out to ensure a hitch-free election.
He said: “I want to assure everybody that INEC will be transparent throughout the conduct of the election. We are prepared. Everything is set. We plead with the electorate to go about their voting without fear. We are neutral. INEC has no party or candidate, so we cannot dictate to anyone.
“The people should come out and vote for the candidate of their choice. After the election, we call on both winner and losers to be magnanimous in whatever they do.”
THE NATION