Feelers from the Diplomatic Community in Nigeria, showed that many Embassies actually expected the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Ademola Adeleke, to be declared the winner of the election, based on the results that were streamed live on the website of the electoral umpire.
Issues that shocked the Diplomats the most, was the deduction of 1,000 votes from the PDP’s results from Ayedade Local Government, the jerking up of the All Progressives Congress, APC, votes from 14,000 to 16,000, at Olorunda Local Government, and the refusal to declare the PDP candidate the winner, despite fulfilling constitutional stipulations.
A Diplomatic source privy to the development, said that most United Kingdom, United States, and the European Union missions, monitored the Osun State election more closely than they did for Ekiti State, and that their reports to their Home offices clearly indicted the electoral umpire.
It was gathered that the fear of most Diplomatic Missions, is that impunity displayed in Osun, may be a prelude to what to expect at the Federal elections, in 2019.
“The international community is worried. The integrity President Muhammad Buhari had, is been eroded. The Osun case tarnishes the President’s reputation further. It is a diplomatic disaster.
“You should have noticed the BBC and VOA, were the first to air the news of the PDP’s victory, both on air and web. That is a signal that the world is watching closely. The Presidency may be forced to intervene in favour of the PDP”, the source said.
Read more