From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday alleged plot by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig today’s governorship poll in the state in connivance with people he described, as “bigwigs” in the Presidency. He said that both the INEC and some top officials in the Presidency have perfected plans to rig the election.
Addressing journalist at a press conference in Akure, Mimiko alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was planning to rig the election with the aid of some officials of INEC, and called on the
international community and President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on INEC.
While urging the people of the state to protect their votes, Mimiko enjoined the people to resist attempts by INEC to rig the election, just as he warned all the political parities participating in the poll against rigging.
His words: “We are at a point where history requires us to say some truths to save our state from pre-conceived lawlessness and its ramifying implications.
“Recall that in the past few weeks, I had engaged with the President at least twice to alert him of some of the challenges to law and security and common sense in our state owing to the activities of some political players whose sole interest is to subvert the electoral process.
“We have just been told that the same team of election ad hoc staff that masterminded the largely controversial Edo State election have been sent to our state to deliver a preconceived result for Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, the APC candidate.
“I have to state that our people will not accept the method, men and the process esunleashed on Edo. We reject unequivocally, the mission of this team in our state. The Edo team did not only call off collation by 9pm
on election day, party agents, monitors and journalists were ordered out of the collation centres allowing for final subversion of the will of the electorate.
“We shall not allow such ungodly process to be repeated in our dear state. But we must say that the above is not all that INEC and those who want a particular candidate to emerge have done. Efforts have allegedly been concerted by INEC and forces within the APC to prevent the emergence of a credible and electable candidate for the PDP in Ondo state.
Reacting, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that it has no interest in today’s governorship election in Ondo State contrary to allegations leveled against it by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Mr. Segun Agbaje, who denied allegation that the Commission was planning to rig the election, said, “INEC is not protecting the interest of any body or any political party contesting the election.” Agbaje who spoke with reporters at the state headquarters of the Commission said, “I don’t know any of the candidates contesting the
election. I don’t know Rotimi Akeredolu, neither do I know Olusola Oke or Eyitayo Jegede. I am not from Ondo State and I have nothing to gain if the election is rigged.”