He recalled that the last governorship election in Ekiti State was marred by vote buying and massive rigging allegedly perpetrated by electoral officers and security agents
Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Former National caretaker chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and presidential aspirant, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force against rigging of the September 22 governorship election in Osun State. Makarfi also warned INEC against conniving with any political party to thwart the wishes of the people of the state.
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The former Kaduna State governor spoke in Osogbo at the weekend while addressing leaders of the party during his sensitization visit to the state to solicit support for his presidential ambition.
He recalled that the last governorship election in Ekiti State was marred by vote buying and massive rigging allegedly perpetrated by electoral officers and security agents that supervised the election.
He therefore warned against a repeat of the “Ekiti scenario” in Osun State come September 22, just as he encouraged the people of the state to resist any attempt to rig the election.
Makarfi insisted that the wish of the people of the state must be allowed to stand regardless of the interest of the powers that be in the state and the federal level. Specifically, the presidential hopeful who said that the PDP will win the Osun gubernatorial poll, urged the leaders of the party in the state to do everything possible under the law to resist rigging and other unlawful acts that may undermine the confidence reposed in INEC and security agencies before, during and after the poll.
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Speaking on his presidential ambition, Makarfi stressed the need for members of the PDP to support a credible and reliable aspirant like him to emerge the party’s flag-bearer, saying that the party cannot afford to lose the election.
While reiterating call for restructuring of the country, Makarfi said the PDP believes in restructuring and assured that the party will restructure the country if it returns to power in 2019. Condemning the spate of insecurity in the country, the PDP leader assured that the PDP has solution to the challenges confronting the nation, pointing out that he will repeat the “magic” he used in Kaduna State to solve the nation’s problems. “As a young person, I faced a lot of challenges in Kaduna State in a bid to develop the state, but at the end I was able to restructure the state and I succeeded in laying solid foundation for peace and development in the state. I promise to do the same thing in the country if I become the president,” he assured.