“The security situation is also commendable, everywhere is peaceful, very calm. It seems a large number of people are coming out to vote. This is a good development for democracy, to decide who determines your well-being. We hope this will serve as an inspiration for the 2019 elections.”
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Ketil Karlsen, said he was hopeful the people’s votes would count in the Osun State governorship election.
Karlsen, who was among the election observers, told journalists in Iragbiji, Osun State, on Saturday that the EU was hopeful the poll would be a model for the 2019 general elections.
He described the Osun voters as peaceful and calm and also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for the manner it planned the exercise.
He said, “We have been observing all morning; we are a team of 55 people, with 28 observers from around eight European countries and so far, everything looks good.
“I commend INEC so much because it’s like they have learnt from previous elections. And that is exactly what we want to see, for the people to vote for who they want democratically.
“The security situation is also commendable, everywhere is peaceful, very calm. It seems a large number of people are coming out to vote. This is a good development for democracy, to decide who determines your well-being. We hope this will serve as an inspiration for the 2019 elections.”
Although Karlsen said he wouldn’t be able to make a final judgment of the quality of the election until it was over, he commended the voters for being “very calm and well-behaved.”
He also encouraged them not to sell their votes, saying vote-buying was as big an offence as election rigging.
“They should resist all temptations to sell their votes. And we hope their votes will count because that’s the essence of democracy – to select the leader with the best solutions,” Karlsen added.
The Genius Media
