The Osun West bye-election witnessed a high turnout of voters on Saturday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Voters across the 10 local government areas in the senatorial district also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the smooth conduct of the election so far.
NAN reports that there was a large turnout of voters in most polling units visited while accreditation and voting were carried out without hitch.
NAN also observed that the card readers did not malfunction in most polling units visited and there was also adequate security.
Men of the Nigeria Police, army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence were stationed in strategic locations in polling units while others were patrolling the major roads in the concerned local councils.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Mudashiru Hussein, commended the electorate for coming out in large numbers to vote.
Hussein, who cast his vote at 9:30 am at his Beulah Baptist Primary School Ward 3, Unit 1 in Ejigbo, commended INEC for a peaceful process.
” I want to commend the electorate for coming out en mass and I also want to commend INEC for this peaceful and orderly process.
” This process shows that INEC has improved tremendously,” he said.
Hussein represented the district between 2011 and 2015.
Former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Adejare Bello, who cast his vote at his Ologun Agbaakin Unit 4, Ward 3 Polling Unit in Ede North Local Government Area commended the electorate for the large turnout.
Adejare, a member of the PDP, also commended INEC and security operatives for ensuring a peaceful process.
” The process has been peaceful since 7 am and I have not heard of any negative report.
” But I hope what is happening in my unit will be replicated in all the 911 polling units in the district,” the former speaker said.
Also speaking, the younger sister of late Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, Modupe Sanni-Adeleke, commended the electorate for the massive turnout.
Sanni-Adeleke voted at Alajue Ward 5, Unit 1, Ede South Polling Unit, also said that the electoral process was free and fair.
” I want to commend the INEC for the peaceful process and the electorate for the large turnout,’’ she said.
Similarly, the speaker of state House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salaam, also commended the electorate for the massive turnout.
Najeem , a member of APC, who cast his vote at 10:55 in Ilupeju 1, Ward 4, Unit 6 Polling Unit in Ejigbo, commended INEC for a peaceful process.
” The election process is in a perfect order and we have a very good outing.
” The turnout of the electorate is massive and INEC and the security operatives did well,” Salam said.
Party agents of both the APC and PDP at the polling unit, Messrs Falade Mutiu and Azeez Ayanfe respectively, said the electoral process was peaceful, adding that the turnout was impressive.
NAN also reports that there was massive turnout of the electorate in Iwo and Egbedore Local Government Areas of the state.
Accreditation and voting commenced at 8am at most of the polling units visited and these would end at 6.pm.
The election was prompted by the death of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, who was representing the district at the Senate, on April 23.
Although 12 political parties are contesting in the bye- election, the two major contenders are the PDP and APC.
The younger brother to late Adeleke, Ademola, is the candidate for PDP while Mudashiru Husein, who represented the district between 2011 and 2014, is the candidate of APC.
