Secret ballot papers smuggled to Osun - APC

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By Simon Ateba, Jethro Ibileke & Gbenro Adesina/Osogbo

 

Despite assurances by President Goodluck Jonathan and Professor Attahiru Jega that the governorship election in Osun State will be free, fair and credible, the All Progressives Party (APC) alleged on Thursday that ‎millions of ballot papers were secretly brought into the state on Wednesday in bullion vans.

A statement entitled: “In Spite of Mr President’s Assurances, We Still Have Shenanigans,” and signed by the Osun party Chairman, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi and the Director of Publicity, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi, APC said one of the bullion vans was parked at the PDP secretariat until the wee hours of Thursday before it was taken into an unknown destination.

 

•Omisore
•Omisore
•Aregbesola
•Aregbesola

APC said the ballot papers were “brought in preparatory to thumbprinting them at a Catholic School in Ife Odan and then surreptitiously to be added to the party’s tally in all wards and councils in Saturday’s election.”

The party said credible information that vehicles belonging to the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) are to be used for the distribution of the ballot papers to the selected areas where the PDP plans to use them to subvert the wishes of the people.

It said the crude method PDP is adopting is completely contrary to the assurance President Goodluck Jonathan to the people of Osun that the election wil be free and fair.

“We condemn this subterfuge in its entirety. It is an act of desperation and a cynical vote of no confidence on the democratic process and the inalienable right of the people to freely choose their leaders.

“President Goodluck Jonathan assured the people of Osun last Saturday of his commitment to free and fair election and disavowal of rigging and electoral fraud.

“The evidence before us now is to the contrary. Mr President should be true to his words and rein in his party members, who appear hell bent to truncate our hard earned democracy, if they fail in their diabolical bid to rule the state at all cost.

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“The PDP must know that the people of Osun are determined to have only their votes counted and to make only their votes count. They are willing on Saturday to let the whole world know that the only way in a democracy to acquire political power is to win their hearts and minds,”‎ the statement read.

The APC warned all stakeholders in volved in conduct of the election, particularly the security agencies and the ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to be above board before, during and after the election process.

It called on the people of the state to watch all activities in their areas and report any suspicious movement to the appropriate quartres for quick intervention.

“We are therefore urging security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and especially the people of the affected area, to be vigilant and be on the lookout for suspicious activities, which may be tantamount to subversion of our hard-earned democracy.

“Our people must also ensure that such subverssive activities should not be condoned or allowed to happen in their precinct.”

Meanwhile, INEC said on Thursday that it was scheduled to move sensitive materials from their headquarters in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to all the 30 local government areas in the state.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun, Olusegun Agbaje, and Supervising National Commissioner for the Osun State election, Mohammed Ahmad Wali, who briefed election observers on Thursday in Osogbo assured again of a peaceful and credible poll.

They said allegations that they were planning to rig for a particular candidate were false and baseless. Wali disclosed that there are over 2500 electoral observers from 29 bodies, 19 local and 10 foreign. He called on the observers to be independent and professional in the discharge of their duties on Saturday.

Similarly, INEC PRO, Adenike Tadese has distanced the commission from the allegations by APC. She said she could not react to the accusations because she was hearing it for the first time.

Meanwhile, all commercial businesses in the state have been directed to close all services to ‎customers by 1:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday. A notice, which was pasted at the entrance of Fidelity Bank Plc and First City Monument Bank, both located along Gbbonga/Osogbo road, said the directive was from Osun State Bankers’ Forum.

Meanwhile PDP in Osun State said it was sure of victory. The party publicity secretary in the state, ‎Bola Ajao said the party was just “crossing the “t”s and dotting the ‘i’.s

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