From L-R: PDP senatorial candidate in the Osun West bye-election, Otunba Ademola Adeleke, PDP state chairman Soji Adagunodo and a chieftain of the party, Chief Atidade at a press conference on Tuesday.
The Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Osun state said it has uncovered plans by the All Progressives Congress APC to manipulate the outcome of the July 8 Bye-election in the Osun West senatorial district.
The PDP made the allegations at a press conference addressed by its chairman Soji Adagunodo in Oshogbo on Tuesday.
Adagundodo alleged that the APC under Governor Rauf Aregbesola is “desperately hatching plans to scuttle the holding of free and fair poll in the forthcoming bye-election”
According to the PDP, the APC is pressurizing the electoral umpire to shift the date of the election for two or three weeks, this, the party disclosed will be resisted.
“In the last one week, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has been under immense pressure by the APC leadership to shift the date of the forthcoming bye-election for between two and three weeks. This, you will recall was the same strategy used ahead of the Edo state Governorship Election held in September 2016. We hereby advise the INEC to refuse this request as doing so will compromise its integrity and cast a great doubt on its independence as an electoral umpire”
The party also accused that the APC is in connivance with some staff of INEC to deliberately involve members of the O’YES as ad-hoc staff for the election.
“The APC election strategy committee is conniving with certain elements In the INEC to recruit O’YES cadets and other party sympathizers as presiding officers and polling clerks. Part of the plans is to sew fake NYSC uniforms and distribute same to these elements in order to make them carry out these nefarious plans”.
The party also alleged that the APC candidate for the election, senator Mudashiru Hussein ” has concluded plans to transport thousands of nonresidents fake voters from Abidjan, Cotonou, Togo and Ghana beginning from this week. The voters are to be located in Ejigbo, Iwo, and parts of Egbedore local government.
“A sum of 150 million naira” has also according to the PDP been earmarked for scuttling the process
Adagunodo however warned against the alleged plans, saying the party is “three steps” ahead of the APC and will not give room for any election malpractice.
He stressed further that the PDP is fully prepared for the election and is sure of victory.
