31st January, 2012
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday shunned the stakeholders’ meeting initiated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review last weekend’s rerun election into Orelope/Irepo/Olorunsogo federal constituency in Oyo State.
The meeting which was expected to commence in the morning did not start until 12 p.m. PDP officials did not show up.
In a chat with P.M.NEWS on phone after the meeting, the PDP state secretary, Alhaji Bashiru Akanbi said the boycott was deliberate. He said the boycott was to protest the injustice meted to the party by INEC.
According to him, there is no reason for INEC not to have announced the PDP candidate as the winner of the election having scored the highest number of votes cast.
Akanbi explained that the results of seven polling units in the stronghold of the PDP which was cancelled should have formed the basis of declaring the PDP as the winner of the rerun. He hinted of his party’s decision to boycott future election in the state.
“The only reason we will participate in election again is if the national body of INEC comes to Abuja to organise it, excluding members of the state INEC,” he added.
Speaking at the meeting, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Hussain Pai disclosed that the commission will not declare a winner in the rerun election because it was inconclusive.
He explained that though the PDP was in the lead, it was not enough to declare a winner until fresh elections were conducted in the seven units where the votes were cancelled.
Representatives of political parties present at the meeting agreed to a rerun in the units affected and Pai announced that a fresh rerun election would be held on Saturday, February 11, 2011.
He called on security agents to ensure adequate security during the exercise and urged stakeholders to educate their supporters on the need to have a violence-free election.
Meanwhile, the state police command has assured that adequate security would be provided for the rerun election.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moses Onireti represented by his deputy, Mr. Muhamed Ladan said it was unbelievable that hoodlums had a field day during the election.
He said over 100 ammunition and assorted charms were recovered from hoodlums during the election while over 100 suspects were arrested.
—Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan