Osun By-Election: PDP Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plans By APC To Subvert Electoral Process
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP,) in Osun State Tuesday raised the alarm over alleged plans by the ruling All Progress Congress, (APC) to scuttle the process of free, fair and credible poll in the July 8, Osun West senatorial by-election.
The party at a press conference addressed by its Chairman, Mr Soji Adagunodo in Osogbo alleged that some electoral officers are conniving with scores of APC chieftains to disenfranchise eligible voters at the strongholds of the PDP, by allegedly deleting their names from the voters’ list.
According to Adagunodo, in the last one week, INEC has been under pressure by APC leadership to shift the scheduled date by between two and three weeks when in actual fact, it was APC that suggested July, 8 against later dates suggested by other political parties adding that attempt to shift the date will cast doubt on the integrity of INEC
He further alleged that the Party had concluded plan to distort the allocation of ballot papers in such a manner that those meant for specific local governments, wards and poling units are diverted to wrong locations so as to delay the commencement of voting and disenfranchise many.
Also, the PDP chairman who frowned at alleged plan by some chieftains of APC to have “procured the service of notorious thugs from within and outside the state to unleash violence in Ede North, Ede south, Egbedore, Irewole, Iwo and Ayedaadelocal governments on election day.”
“The APC election strategy committee is conniving with certain element in the INEC to recruit OYES cadets and other party sympathisers as presiding officers and polling clerks. Part of the plans is to provide fake NYSC uniform and distribute same to these elements in order to make them carry out this nefarious plan.
“There are plans by the APC to ensure that INEC allocate non-functioning card readers to area considered as stronghold of PDP. This, in their thinking, would slow down accreditation of voters and get voters discouraged.
” We have credible information about the plans of APC and the state government to arrange the kidnap and or arrest of leaders of the PDP in certain local government on the eve of July 8th by-election.
“As we speak, certain chieftains of APC have compiled names of their party members and sympathisers to be accredited by INEC as election observers and monitors.
“You will recalled 181 of these same elements from Osun State were arrested somewhere in Imo State in 2013, while traveling as fake observers for the Anambra governorship election”, he said.
Adagunodo thereafter alleged the APC candidate in the election, Senator Mudashir Hussein of clandestine plan to bring thousands of non-residents from Abidjan, Cotonou, Togo and Ghana as voters, the process which he alleged would commence this week.
He therefore assured his party members and supporters in the ten local governments that make up the senatorial district of efforts at the National headquarters of PDP to guarantee credible exercise, saying ” we shall not allow anyone no matter how highly placed to subvert the freewill of the electorate”.
Reacting, the APC through its director of Communication Research and Strategy, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi described the allegations as fabricated lies aimed at covering up PDP nefarious plan.