Governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the need to rise above board by ensuring that the September 22 governorship poll is free and fair.
The ADP flagbearer in the election stated this during a chat with members of a Lagos-based human rights group, Eyes for Democracy (ED), who recently paid a courtesy visit to him at his campaign office in Osogbo, the state capital.
As contained in a statement issued and signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of Moshood Adeoti Campaign Organization (MACO), Mr Kayode Agbaje, Adeoti stressed the need for the electoral umpire to remain impartial in the discharge of its primary assignment of conducting a credible governorship election in the state on September 22, 2018.
According to the ADP gubernatorial candidate, all eyes are currently on the state in view of the state’s strategic position in the political landscape of the South West geo-political zone of the country.
While welcoming members of the civil rights group to his campaign office, Alhaji Adeoti thanked them for their group’s interest in his aspiration and assured that the state would witness further development on his assumption of office once elected and sworn-in on November 27, 2018 as governor of the state.
“I wish to use the opportunity of your visit to charge INEC, the electoral umpire on the need to rise above board by conducting a free and fair governorship poll on September 22.
“This call has become necessary in view of the strategic position of the state in the political landscape of the South West geo-political zone of the country.
“INEC must also come to term with the reality that all eyes are on the state, including those of the members of the international community,” Adeoti stated.
The ADP flagbearer further used the occasion to assure his teeming supporters across all political parties in the state that he nurses no plan to go back to the ruling-All Progressives Congress (APC) once elected as governor in the fast-approaching gubernatorial election.
“I want to state it for the umpteenth time and put the rumour monger to shame once and for all that I have no plan to leave the ADP and go back to the ruling-APC once elected.
“This is a lie from the pit of hell, especially my political detractors, who are bent on painting me as an inconsistent and self-centered politician.
“This time, like numerous occasions before now, they have failed woefully,” Adeoti emphasised.
Earlier, on the occasion of the courtesy visit, the ED National Coordinator, Comrade James Nonso Okechukwu stated that his group’s mission in the state was to ensure a violence-free governorship election through visits and appeal to various stakeholders to play the game by the rules.
The civil rights group’s leader also assured the ADP candidate to take his message to INEC leadership both at the state and national levels.
“I want to assure you that your charge to INEC would not just stop here, as we would take it even to the national and state levels of INEC,” Okechukwu assured.
