From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Ahead of the governorship election slated for July 16 in Osun State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the western nations to place a visa ban on some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over an alleged vow to rig the election.
The petition signed by the Caretaker Chairman of the party in Osun, Dr Akindele Adekunle, and made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, accused the APC of planning to undermine the electoral process and subvert the will of the people of the state.
The petition sent to the Ambassadors of the United States of America, the High Commissioners of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union, alleged that the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, had made public instruction to its campaign Council to rig the July 16 election.
“The ruling party has openly and expressly directed its operatives to deploy all means including undemocratic measures like violence and poll disruption to win the election.
“The National Chairman of APC, Adamu Abdulahi had while inaugurating the State Campaign Council issued the directive last week and the video of the directive has gone viral. Unfortunately, APC operatives in Osun state have started executing the directive with ongoing killings and maiming of PDP leaders and members across the state. Our party just petitioned the Inspector General of Police on recent killings and attacks including the direct involvement of Amotekun, the state security force alongside political thugs.
“The APC operatives have also launched systematic subversion of the electoral process, tampering with the preparatory stage including collection of voters cards, coercion of state workers, vote buying among others. Strong arm tactics are also being deployed to vote-buying members as INEC strong-arm including direct connivance of the state electoral officials with top Osun state government operatives.
“On our part, we have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call his party chairman to order. While electoral malpractice is a challenge in the electoral process, this is the first time a National Chairman of a ruling party would openly and unapologetically directed rigging of an upcoming election. We had given the Nigerian leadership opportunity to disown the undemocratic agenda of the party chief and we are expanding the net by calling on your Excellencies to place a visa ban on top leaders of APC and Osun state government officials involved in the planned subversion of the will of the people.
“We call on friends of Nigeria in the democratic world to rise in defence of democratic rights of Osun people to elect leaders of their choice. Our call is significant and critical to sustenance of Nigerian democratic ideals. Your Excellency may want to know that Nigeria’s crisis started with the rigging of western region election in 1964 and continued with the rigging of the 1983 elections in old Oyo state. Friends of Nigeria are called upon to act now before it is too late,” PDP added.
