Tension
has continued to rise between the All Progressives Congress and the
Peoples Democratic Party over Saturday’s governorship poll in Osun
State.
On Sunday the APC, through its National
Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, alleged that President Goodluck
Jonathan reportedly instructed security agencies to ensure victory for
his party by all means.
The APC had in a statement in which it
claimed that the PDP was planning to massively rig the governorship
election in 10 Local Governments Areas in the state, made veiled
reference to Jonathan’s alleged instruction to the security agencies.
When The PUNCH asked him to
expatiate on the “reported instruction” by the President, he simply
replied, “This is based on credible information we received.”
The APC listed Ife Central, Ife East,
Ife North, Ife South, Olurunda Iwo, Ifelodun, Osogbo, Odo Otin and
Aiyedade as the LGAs the PDP wanted to win at all costs.
It also claimed that the PDP was seeking a pliable person as a returning officer for the poll.
The APC claimed that three
vice-chancellors had been penciled in for the job which would fetch
whoever was chosen among them a N1bn compensation.
The party added that President
Goodluck Jonathan had reportedly told the security agencies that he
wanted victory for the PDP at all costs.
It said, ‘’Nigerians from all walks of
life, desirous of a free and fair election on Saturday, are reaching out
to us with useful information on the plan by the desperate PDP to rig
the forthcoming election. We are taking the information very seriously.
‘‘For example, we learnt that the PDP has
identified Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Olurunda, Iwo,
Ifelodun, Osogbo, Odo Otin and Aiyedade as places where they plan to
perpetrate massive rigging.”
The party also claimed that two different results have allegedly been written ahead of the elections.
It said, “Three Vice-Chancellors; one
from the North Central and two from the South-West have been pencilled
in to serve as a returning officer. The incentive for the returning
officer who can announce the doctored results is N1bn.’’
The party said when these plans are put
together with the massive deployment of security agencies in the state
to harass and intimidate the opposition, “the huge amounts of cash being
moved into the state via Armoured Personnel Carriers and the electoral
malfeasance specialist-ministers who have landed in Osun, it is clear
that the PDP is working hard to ensure that the forthcoming election is
anything but free, fair and credible.
It therefore called on INEC not to allow any unscrupulous person to serve as a returning officer for the election.
The electoral umpire, according to the APC, should pay a special attention to voting in the 10 identified LGAs.
The APC warned, ‘’No one will accept the
result of an election in which the returning officer is compromised with
filthy lucre. This is why we are calling on INEC to ensure that only a
person of integrity can serve in that important post,’’
It said that its agents would not sign any false results of the August 9 election.
The party also called on the
international community to pay attention to the issues that could affect
the outcome of the election, instead of waiting until the deed had been
done.
‘’The biggest danger to Saturday’s
election in Osun is the unbridled desperation of the PDP to win at all
costs. This explains why the party’s candidate, Mr. Iyiola Omisore, has
lied so shamelessly about a purported USAID survey that puts him ahead
of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola. But for USAID which quickly put a lie to the
peddled story, Mr. Omisore would have continued to use it as a campaign
tool,’’ it said.
Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati
could not be reached for comment on the allegation against his boss.
Abati is said to be out of the country.
The police however denied that Jonathan had instructed security agencies to ensure the PDP’s victory at all costs.
Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba
said, “The burden of proof is always on the person making an
allegation. Therefore, if APC actually made such an allegation, they owe
Nigerians a sacred duty to prove the allegation.
“For us, our performances in previous
elections (Edo, Ondo, Anambra and Ekiti) stand as evidence of our
unparalleled professionalism, political neutrality and uncommon
commitment to the protection of the democratic rights of Nigerians.
“We remain committed to these ideals and will not be distracted by wild allegations.”
The PDP however dismissed the allegation against it by the APC, saying it did not need to rig to win an election in the state.
Metuh told one of our correspondents that PDP’s attention was on winning the election while APC was focusing on propaganda.
He also dismissed the claim by the APC that it was shopping for a pliable returning officer for the election.
It said, “We are focusing on winning this
election. The APC is focusing on propaganda. Twice our
candidate(Omisore) stepped down for others, saying that he would wait
for God’s time.We know that this is God’s time for him.
“Nigerians are witness to the fact that
based on his popularity, Omisore would have become governor in 1999 and
2003 respectively but sacrificed his personal ambition to accept the
position of deputy governor out of humility and commitment to the
stability of the state.’’
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