Despite the cold weather, voters in Saki West Local Government Area of Oyo State, where the state House of assembly re-run election for Saki West state constituency is taken place, turned out in large numbers to cast their votes.
With temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius, many voters were wrapped in scarves and heavy coats, but they remained undeterred in exercising their democratic right.
At the two polling units, Odo-Osun and Ogbalanja, where the re-run election is taken place, long lines formed as voters patiently waited their turn to cast their ballots.
The atmosphere was peaceful as combined Security personnel were deployed at the two polling stations to maintain order and prevent any incidents of violence or disruption.
Voters expressed their gratitude for the presence of security personnel, saying it made them feel more confident about participating in the democratic process.
Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr. Adeniran Tella, visited the two polling stations in company of the state’s Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat.
The REC, commended the seamless conduct of the exercise and also gave reasons for the re-run election, which he said, was held as a result of a court order that over two hundred voters who were unable to vote during the general election cannot be disfranchised as well as over voting in one of the polling stations.
Recall that the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal for Oyo State ordered the re-run election for Saki West state constituency.
INEC had earlier declared Mr Shittu Ibrahim of the All Peoples Congress (APC) as winner of the election held on March 18.
It declared that Ibrahim scored 13,692 votes to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Julius Okedoyin, who scored 13,422 votes.
Dissatisfied with the declaration, Okedoyin and the PDP headed to the tribunal alleging over-voting, irregularity and non-compliance with electoral guidelines.
Delivering a unanimous ruling of the three-man panel, its chairman, Justice Jubril Anaja, held that the petition had merit and that the petitioners proved their allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
Anaja ruled that the cancellation of results from Ward 6 Unit 7 and Ward 11 Unit 19 of the constituency with 1,285 voter cards collected, could substantially affect the outcome of the election.
The tribunal noted that whereas the declared winner led the petitioner by 270 votes in Ward 6, Unit 7 and Ward 11, Unit 19, the number of voters disenfranchised was more than 1,000.
It held that the more than 1,000 voters disenfranchised by INEC in the affected wards might have over-turned the result if they were allowed to vote.
“The certificate of return issued to the first respondent (Ibrahim) by INEC is hereby set aside pending the re-run election to determine the winner of the election for Saki West constituency.
“INEC is hereby ordered to conduct a re-run election in Ward 6, Unit 7 and Ward 11, unit 19 within 90 days,’’ Anaja declared.
