The All Progressives Congress (APC) is not backing down on its sustained allegations of plan to rig this weekend’s governorship election in Osun State by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in cahoots with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In its latest accusations, the party claimed that the outcome of voting in 10 local governments in the state had been primed for rigging, with three vice chancellors already pencilled in to announce the alleged fake results.
It further alleged that PDP planned the alleged rigging, in addition to seeking a pliable person as returning officers.
In a statement issued in Lagos, on Sunday, by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also said President Goodluck Jonathan had allegedly told the security agencies that he wanted victory for his party at all costs.
“Nigerians from all walks of life, desirous of a free and fair election on Saturday, are reaching out to us with useful information on the plan by the desperate PDP to rig the forthcoming election and we are taking the information very seriously.
“For example, we learnt that the PDP has identified Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Olurunda, Iwo, Ifelodun, Osogbo, Odo Otin and Aiyedade as places where they plan to perpetrate massive rigging.
“Two different results have allegedly been written ahead of the election, while three vice chancellors, one from the North Central and two from the South-West, have been pencilled in to serve as returning officers. The incentive for any returning officers who can announce the doctored results is N1 billion,’’ it said.
The party said when these plans are put together with the alleged massive deployment of security agencies in Osun to harass and intimidate the opposition, the alleged huge amounts of cash being moved into the state via armoured personnel carriers and the alleged electoral malfeasance specialists-ministers who had landed in Osun, it was allegedly clear that the PDP was working hard to ensure that the forthcoming election was anything but free and fair.
It, therefore, called on INEC not to allow any unscrupulous person to serve as a returning officer for the election, and to pay special attention to voting in the identified local governments, where the PDP allegedly planned to influence the outcome of the election.
“No one will accept the result of an election in which the returning officer is compromised with filthy lucre. This is why we are calling on INEC to ensure that only a person of integrity can serve in that important post,’’ APC said, warning that its agents would not sign any false results of the August 9 election.
The party also called on the international community to pay attention to the issues that could affect the outcome of the election, instead of waiting until the deed had been done.
“The biggest danger to Saturday’s election in Osun is the unbridled desperation of the PDP to win at all costs. This explains why the party’s candidate, Iyiola Omisore, has lied so shamelessly about a purported USAID survey that puts him ahead of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. But for USAID, which quickly put a lie to the peddled story, Omisore would have continued to use it as a campaign tool,’’ it said.
Also reacting to the allegation on Sunday, the publicity secretary of the PDP, in Osun, Mr Bola Ajao, said “the accusation on the part of the APC is not only malicious, but also heinous and baseless.”
He maintained that there was no doubting the fact that such position “is unfounded and diversionary. They should be factual enough and give names of the vice chancellors they senselessly claimed we have colluded with to announce fake results. Not only that, this is one desperation too heinous.”
While admonishing the APC to play by the rule, Ajao posited that “if they have seen the handwriting on the wall, they better throw in the towel. As for Osun Abere 2014, it is PDP’s victory for sure.”
“The governorship candidate of the APC, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, should be bold enough to hand over in November 2014 and not bolt away after this electoral loss staring him in the face.”
APC moves national secretariat to Osogbo
The administrative machinery of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will relocate to Osogbo, the Osun capital ahead of the August 9 governorship election, the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said.
Odigie-Oyegun made the statement in Abuja, on Sunday, a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said the relocation to Osogbo would enable the party work out modalities to achieve victory in the election.
“We wish to inform the public and millions of our members and supporters that as from August 4, the national secretariat of APC will relocate to Osogbo, Osun State.
“The national secretariat of our great party will continue to operate from Osogbo until after the governorship election,” he said.
The chairman reiterated the commitment of the party to guard and protect its votes during the election and commended the people of Osun for their steadfastness.
He appealed to the people to ignore all manners of provocation and turn out massively to vote for the APC during the poll.
Source: Tribune
