By joshua 
Ayo Ola
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has urged the Independent National Electoral Election (INEC) to be circumspect and thorough in the preparation, recruitment of personnel, assigning of responsibilities, monitoring and evaluation of performances of personnel and declaration of results of the forthcoming elections.
In a statement on Sunday by its Chairman, Olarenwaju Suraju, HEDA expressed deep concern with the electoral malpractice allegedly pepetuated and reportedly conceded by the two major political parties at the polls.
It, therefore called on Nigeria Police Force and Economic Financial Crime Commission to investigate the polling officers and INEC officials responsible for the alleged inflated votes at the affected polling units for prosecution.
HEDA’s position followed the Osun Governorship Election Tribunal judgement.
The Tribunal, on Friday in Osogbo, annulled the result declared by INEC, which gave victory in the election to Mr. Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It held that the governorship election was characterised by over-voting and said after deducting the excessive votes, the figure Mr Ademola Adeleke polled came down to 290,666: lower than the 314,921 polled by the immediate past Governor Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola.
HEDA Chairman, in addition, challenged INEC to ensure internal mechanisms to discontinue electoral malpractices, adding that election irregularities are unacceptable and must be condemned for qualitative representation and good governance.
Suraju said, “Osun gubernatorial election, assumed by many to be above board, considering the heavy investment of resources by the country in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), was marred by irregularities and this was hidden from the prying eyes of observers in their preliminary observation reports during the polls in Osogbo.
“We strongly condemned the electoral malpractice and all those associated with the act of sabotage against the country and it’s people.”