Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
A group, the Coalition for the Emancipation for Osun State (CSCEOS), has warned against any attempt by any group, institution, individuals and politicians against rigging the governorship election holding in Osun State, on Saturday.
The group alleged that certain elements had perfected plans to rig the poll and warned that any attempt to do so would be met with a stiff resistance.
Chairman of the group, Adeniyi Alimi, who gave the warning, on Wednesday, in Osogbo, the state capital, in a chat with newsmen, accused some elements of hobnobbing with some politicians of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of planning to manipulate the electoral process despite the assurances of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Segun Agbaje, to make the poll credible.
The group insisted that the people of the state were expecting a credible poll that would usher in a governor of their choice that would deliver the dividends of democracy they had been yearning for.
It added that rigging the poll would undermine the dream with imposition of a governor that might not fulfil their hope of good governance.
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Akimi, therefore, warned the electoral umpire, security agencies and political parties against rigging the election saying: “Let this note of warning be sounded that anyone, no matter how powerful, will not be spared if any attempt is made to rob us.”
“We have everything to fear that the September 22, 2018, governorship election may not be credible. Despite the usual promises made by INEC and the security agencies, we have reasons to believe that rigging of this election may have been perfected.
“But we are warning that anyone who makes any move to subvert the will of the people on this election won’t go scot- free.
“The gods of this land will fight them and they will have no peace. Elections may have been rigged elsewhere, but we will strongly resist any attempt to undermine the September 22 election.
“Already, gladiators of the ruling party in the state have been threatening that this election would be rigged in their favour and are even telling the people that the APC candidate has won the poll,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Segun Agbaje, has assured the people of the state that INEC would not compromise the poll.