VOTERS REGISTRATION IN ÒKÈ-ÒGÙN AND MATTERS ARISING

[Bravebold]

*ON GOING CONTINUOUS VOTERS REGISTRATION (CVR) IN ÒKÈ-ÒGÙN AND MATTERS ARISING*

The Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) has commenced today nationwide continuous voters registration (CVR), local governments in Òkè-Ògùn inclusive for the next one (1) year. While it is a welcomed development and a routine civic obligation, the exercise has raised some posers not only for the political class in Òkè-Ògùn alone, but all patriotic indigenes.

The posers arose from the recent demographic change/shift in the inhabitants of the region. I have had the opportunity to travel from Ibadan to my hometown in ATISBO LG in the last four weekends, and particularly between Fridays and Sundays of those 4 weekends. Those periods afforded me the opportunity to witness the observance of the Jumat service on Fridays, and some market days that fell within those periods.

I was able to observe that the population of settlers, mostly Fulanis and Gbaris from the northern part of Nigeria in communities like Baasi and Agunrege and Area (opposite Òkè-Ògùn FM Radio) Alaga for example outnumbered the indigenous population in three or four folds going by their sheer numbers. The same scenario may be obtainable in other communities of Òkè-Ògùn, I cannot authoritatively say.

The posers begging for attention are:
1. Are they not constitutionally eligible to transfer their voters card and register as prospective voters where they have settled as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guaranteed?
2. Will political parties in Òkè-Ògùn not be the chief enablers/financier of such a process with a view to gaining advantage over rival political parties in future elections, the forthcoming 2027 general elections as a test dose?
3. In a situation where their registered numbers outshoots the locals, will that not be a recipe for non-indigenes becoming elected political leaders over communities in Òkè-Ògùn in no distant future, therefore triggering another Indigene Vs Settlers conflict as we are witnessing currently in Plateau, Kaduna and Benue states?
4. A more dangerous scenario that has stared us in the face, if not already taking its toil on us is the security implications of such demographic change. Arising from such overwhelming numbers of such settlers, are we not already in another *Ìlọrin Àfọ̀njá turned Ìlọrin Geri Alimi?*
5. What is/are the roles of Community Associations, but more importantly, our Obas and Chiefs in this evolving scenario?
6. Your guess is as good as mine.
By Funso Folaranmi

[Bravebold]