There was sharp disagreement between Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attaihru Jega, yesterday over how voters should handle ballot papers during Saturdays governorship election in their various polling units.

Both Aregbesola and the INEC chairman expressed divergent views at a stakeholders forum organised by the commission on the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

While Governor Aregbesola directed voters of All Progressives Congress (APC) to take pictures of their ballot papers before casting their votes as a strategy to prevent rigging, the INEC chairman opposed the idea

Jega said: I have been informed that a candidate told his supporters to take photographs of their ballot papers before casting their votes, I want to say that voters should disregard it. The law allows secrecy of balloting. You cannot go to the polling units and take photographs of ballot papers; therefore, you should disregard that.

He stated that the commissions objective was to make every vote count in the country, noting that the electoral umpire was determined to conduct free, fair and credible election that would be difficult to challenge in any court of law.

Our goal in Osun State election is to make it the best ever conducted in Nigeria. The one which the outcome will be difficult to dispute and the one which winner will be the one the people want, he said

Jega urged politicians to avoid desperate ways of undermining the electoral processes, saying their actions had been detrimental to the political system in the country.

The INEC boss warned staff of the commission to be wary of the antics of politicians, saying they should not be induced and those falling short of the commissions vision were on their own.

Adapted from a Daily Sun report. Photo shows Governor Aregbesola addressing APC faithful.