Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to manipulate the poll in favour of its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, in order to impose him on the state.
This was contained in a press statement signed yesterday by the media director of his campaign, Olawale Rasheed. He alleged in the statement that APC in the last two weeks have taken “brazen subversive decisions and steps targeted at undermining the will of the people long before the election day.”
He said: ”We call the attention of all democratic forces and the international community to the ongoing plot by the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to subvert this month’s governorship election in Osun State.
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We note with a clear warning to all anti-democratic forces that evil plots designed to rig and foist a rejected
candidate of the APC on the state will fail woefully. traffick ”In an advanced system of rigging, the ruling party is executing electoral manipulations even before the polling day.
“The systemic manipulative plots cover the entire gamut of the electoral process and we list them as follows: The open purchase of PVC with payment of ten thousand naira (N10,000) each to unsuspecting voters. The goal is to clown and deploy false data in favour of APC candidate.
There is also the diversion of unclaimed PVCs for unsavoury activities by APC cyber team; the appointment of openly
known APC sympathisers as returning officers; plans to disenfranchise zones and areas known to be strongholds of the opposition and open vote buying like the one led by the Vice President of the country under the guise of business support funding.
We also discovered the secret payment of close to N17 billion to the state government from the Paris Fund for election purposes; diversion of state government funds for election purposes leading to the resignation of the
Accountant General; open deployment of political thugs to haunt members of the opposition among other evil schemes plotted to remain in power at all cost. “We have listed these plots to serve as a reminder to all democratic forces that the APC is plotting to plunge Osun and the nation into avoidable mayhem.
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We therefore call on men of conscience nationwide and internationally to call the APC government to order.
“We remind agents of electoral violence and rigging that our history in Osun State does not look kindly on election riggers.
We also call on the international community to take judicious note of our evidence-based alarm. As Osun State is the cradle of Yoruba race of South Western Nigeria, any tampering with Osun polls may have consequences beyond the
state.
“The minimum we request is that the will of the electorate be respected and that the electoral umpire and security agencies remain fair and neutral before, during and after the poll. To Osun people, we call for eternal vigilance. Speak out against suspicious activities in your areas. Reject attempt to manipulate this election before, during and after the polls.”
It is better to tell the electorate what your manifestoes are, rather than dissipating energy on cooked-up allegations.Noise making on the pages of newspapers don’t win elections.