By MOROMOKE AKANJI

Residents in Osun have expressed concern about the governorship election scheduled for Saturday Aug. 14, with many hoping the exercise will be peaceful, credible, free and fair for all stakeholders and citizens.

Some residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday expressed their expectations for the election, urging authorities, political actors and voters to promote peace throughout the process.

Mrs Beatrice Adeyemi, a retired teacher, said she hoped that peace would reign during the process so that the masses could exercise their franchise freely without intimidation or unnecessary disruption.

She also advised against vote-buying, saying they were selling their rights in exchange for poverty, suffering and silence for four years after the election, and urged voters to reject such practices.

“Give us the chance to vote for who we want, make this election a peaceful, free and fair one,” she said, calling for authorities to protect voters throughout the voting process.

She prayed that the current governor would be re-elected to continue his good work and that, if he were not elected, his successor would follow in his footsteps.

Another resident, Mr Ademola Fasasi, a banker, urged the security agencies to ensure the safety of the electorate during and after the election, saying their protection was essential for peaceful voting.

“The political tension the election is generating is uncalled for, political actors should not see the election as war, but, as a call to service.

“We desire peace,” he said, emphasising that peaceful participation remained essential to the state’s democratic development and the successful conduct of the election across all polling units statewide without violence.

Fasasi emphasised that whoever became the next governor of the state should prioritise health, education, job creation and improve the welfare of citizenry through inclusive policies, accountability and effective governance.

Also speaking, Oyindamola Alao, a trader expressed displeasure with the outrageous news spreading around about vote buying.

She prayed that people come out and vote with one united voice across the state peacefully.

She also urged people to come out massively to cast their vote without showing any form of fear or allowing intimidation to prevent them from exercising their democratic rights.

“It is our civic right as citizens. Let us all come out to vote. Our husbands should encourage us the more to do the right thing with good faith,” she said.

She prayed that the right person emerged as winner if it was God’s will, and urged voters to accept the outcome peacefully while supporting the state’s progress under the next administration. (NAN)