By Sikiru Obarayese
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, has blasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for blaming electoral umpire for its lost.
The party also exposed the alleged plans of the leading opposition party to disrupt the voting process which, according to the APC, was prevented by security agencies before it was implemented.
Chairman of Osun chapter of APC, Prince Gboyegba Famodun exposed this during a press briefing with journalist in Osogbo, the state capital.
Famodun expressed that Osun’s governorship election was not the first in Nigeria to be so declared inconclusive, adding that for PDP to be screaming “blue murder” after it lost the re-run, is ultimately anti-democratic and totally irresponsible.
The chairman said, earlier, the PDP, “was terrified by the prospects of losing the re-run election, mounted a massive effort to discredit the election, vilify INEC, and attempted to stop the re-run and have itself declared winner for an election that had already been certified inconclusive by the umpire.”
He said, the PDP failure to stop the re-run, according to him, resorted to “its best game; as it imported thugs into Osun from Kwara State and lunch a killer squad to spill blood, maim and kill people in an attempt to scare as many people as possible from voting during the re-run election.”
APC gave an instance of the murder of its agent, Adebiyi Ajibade, killed by alleged PDP thugs in Esa Odo.
The APC insisted that the figures claimed by the PDP in Ede North and South were fraudulent because they exceeded the number of registered voters in the two local governments.
In his word, Famodun said: “since the first ballot was declared inconclusive by INEC, the PDP has mounted a massive propaganda campaign of misinformation, and outright falsehood with the purpose of discrediting INEC’s conduct of the election and ultimately discredit the victory of our candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.”
However, The APC frown on the volte face of some foreign and local election observers who in one breath acknowledged the peaceful and fair nature of the process, but in another, questioned the outcome just at the tail end at the collation centre, where the die is already cast, and nothing can be changed or influenced again.
He continued, “As far as fairness goes, you cannot recommend a process and at the same time deny its conclusion.”
“We have indisputable evidence that for the last election, indeed one week to the vote, the PDP withdrew cash from the banks in Osun to the tune of N18 billion!! From one bank alone, they allegedly withdrew N13billion! This is money laundering and a crime against our banking law.”
“This money is used to buy PVC, influence voters, corrupt electoral officers, other political party agents and law enforcement officers, particularly in Ede North and Ede South Local Government Areas, where they returned an outrageous 35,537 combined votes for PDP.”
He said: “PDP was therefore caught red-handed and the culprits were openly paraded by the police for impersonating electoral officers during the supplementary vote. They wore reflective vests, caps, singlets and signs faking electoral observers as 16 of them were arrested by the police in Orolu.
“In over 20 locations, including hotels and schools, thugs and illegal voters were camped, but when they were arrested by the police and prevented from disturbing the exercise or voting with invalid PVCs, the PDP went to town with their propaganda that the APC used police and INEC officials to prevent their supporters from voting.”
“But for the vigilance of the police, these illegalities would have been successfully repeated. Based on credible intelligence, the police busted the gangs as they were being transported to the voting units.”
Famodun commended the people of Osun for voting back APC, promised that the good work of Governor Rauf Aregbesola will continue as Osun will progress during the administration of the Gov-Elect, Gboyega Oyetola.
