The stage is set for the Osun State governorship election holding today, Saturday 16th June.
1,479,595 registered voters are eligible to participate in the election across the 30 local government areas in the state. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), these are the number of persons out of the 1,955,657 registered voters who have collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs).
A total of 21, 000 police personnel, 79 local and eight foreign observers, have been deployed for the election with a promise of a transparent election by the electoral commission.
15 candidates are contesting to run the affairs of the state for another four years.
DUBAWA, in partnership with journalists and observers on the ground, will be running quick checks to debunk claims on the election.
CLAIM 1
Claim: The official PDP handle on Twitter (@officialPDPNig) claims that the Nigerian Army arrested Asiri Eniba, Chairman of NURTW in Osun State with assorted rifles and other dangerous weapons on Friday, July 15.
Although the army has yet to confirm the occurrence or respond to calls placed by DUBAWA, reports by PunchNG and other reliable media platforms stated that some soldiers arrested Asiri Eniba with some weapons in Osogbo on Friday.
CLAIM 2
Claim: A Twitter user (@Gyalep), in efforts to convince voters to vote for Governor Oyetola, claims the governor has approved the release of over N477 million as premium for citizens under the Osun Health Insurance Scheme, OHIS.
It is no big secret. Governor Oyetola has been widely reported by various media outlets to have released N477.9 million as a premium for the enrolment of vulnerable citizens into the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS). Details of the report were published on this PunchNg report.
CLAIM 3
Claim: A Twitter user, Giyale Miemene Paul (@Gyalep) highlighting reasons why people should vote for the incumbent governor, Oyetola, claims that he (Governor Oyetola) has refurbished and revitalised 332 PHCs in Osun.
An exclusive report by Humangle reveals that the PHCs are not in a good condition contrary to what the state reported. In a phone interview with Humanangle’s Adejumo Kabir, he reinstated the stance of their report and further revealed that the equipment meant to be procured were not. The Osun state government reacted to the findings confirming it as valid.
CLAIM 4
Claim: A WhatsApp message has a claim that the candidate of the Labour party, Lasun Yusuf, has stepped down for PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke, in the ongoing Osun election.
The Labour Party Candidate, Lasun Yusuf, said in a live interview on Channels Television that he has voted and is still in the race. Also, the national Chairman of the Labour party, Julius Abure, told DUBAWA the information is false. He added that Mr Yusuf is still in the race.
CLAIM 5
Claim: A Twitter user, (@iam_doctormayor) shared a video claiming that the police has intercepted thugs with locally made guns and charms at Ogbonarugbo Ward 8, Unit 7, Ilesa.
Phillip Anjorin, a CJID observer who was at the location, confirmed that the police were at the location and indeed arrested some thugs who were in possession of charms and arms. DUBAWA further analyzed the video, and the timestamp of the footage revealed it was captured and shared around 11: 30 a.m. today.
CLAIM 6
Claim: A Twitter user, FUTA BRO (@FutsBro), shared a video wherein it was announced that the Osun governorship election had been declared inconclusive.
Our findings show that the video was from the 2018 Osun governorship election, which was declared inconclusive.
CLAIM 7
Claim: A Twitter user, QUEEN SADY (@HajiyaSadiya2), claims the PDP has won the Osun governorship election.
Updates from our observers show vote collation is still ongoing at different Local Government Areas and no winner has been declared.
CLAIM 8
Claim: A Twitter user Olumide_diamond (@OluwatobaAkind1), shared a Tik Tok video with the screenshot of a breaking news insinuating governor Oyetola said he was ‘ready to leave.’
A close look at the video, which has Tope Alabi’s music playing in the background, showed the screenshot was doctored. One, the screenshot does not contain the image or name of any media organisation, two, it does not show a timestamp which live reports usually carry and three, this has not been reported by any news platform.
