…….Adeleke wins with over 511,067, Accord party, Bola of APC. got 444,815 votes
By Editor
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of disenfranchising thousands of Muslim women during the Osun State governorship election by allegedly preventing those wearing hijab from casting their votes.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, alleged that the incidents occurred in several parts of the state and described them as widespread acts of intimidation, humiliation and denial of voting rights.
According to Akintola, many Muslim women were allegedly turned away from polling units because they refused to remove their hijab, while a few others were only allowed to vote after taking off the religious head covering.
The organisation blamed the alleged development on what it described as the failure of INEC’s leadership to properly educate its regular and ad hoc staff on citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression.
MURIC further accused INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, of showing a lack of respect for Nigerian Muslims and renewed its call for his removal from office. The group also alleged that it possesses video evidence of a Muslim woman who claimed she was denied the opportunity to vote because she wore a hijab.
The organisation argued that the alleged disenfranchisement may have influenced the outcome of the governorship election and warned that similar incidents could recur during the 2027 general elections if urgent measures are not taken.
MURIC appealed to the Federal Government to investigate the allegations and ensure that the rights of Muslim women are protected during future elections. It also warned that public humiliation of women over their religious attire could create unnecessary tension if left unaddressed.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Accord Party candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke, winner of the Osun governorship election after polling 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebanji, who secured 444,815 votes. At the time of the allegation, INEC had not publicly responded to MURIC’s claims.
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