7th April, 2015
Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta
The Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described the allegation by the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the incumbent governor, Ibikunle Amosun is planning to rig this Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly election, as a product of frustration.
The PDP in Ogun had over the weekend, through its gubernatorial candidate, Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka alleged that the governor, who is also the APC governorship candidate, had bought up all unclaimed Permanent Voters Card PVC’s in the state.
Isiaka further alleged that the governor and his party, APC is doing this in preparatory to deploying same to effect a grand rigging plan.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Sola Lawal, the party however denied such plot, stating that, “the ruling party in the state need not rig an election in which all the odds are in its favour, due to the popularity of its main candidate, Amosun”.
The party pointed out that it is confident of victory in the Saturday’s polls on account of overwhelming endorsement it enjoyed from Ogun electorate in the last Presidential and National Assembly elections in which the party won seven out of nine House of Representatives position available, including Egbado North/Imeko Afon Federal Constituency, where Isiaka hails from.
It stated that the same winning streak would be re-enacted this Saturday, “regardless of idle hoax scream by PDP”.
“By now, the nation has grown accustomed to blackmail of the APC and the electoral body by PDP, which, prior to the presidential election, crudely painted the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, a criminal.
“In the same way the Jega-bashing did not prevent the PDP from the electoral humiliation it suffered in the presidential election, this latest scrabbling of Ogun PDP would lead to their demise at the polls,” the statement said.
APC said that it would go into the gubernatorial poll with mouth-watering credentials of performance by the Amosun administration, including unprecedented infrastructural revolution, monumental security achievements and legendary mass appeal among others.
When our correspondent contacted the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Chief Timothy Ibitoye, he debunked the claim, hinting that the Commission will never do such a thing. He cautioned political parties against unguarded utterances, noting that, they should confirm any issue before making it a public debate.
“There is nothing like selling unclaimed Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs. I want to tell you that all the unclaimed PVCs in the state have been returned to the headquarters. Where did the issue of selling cards emanate from?” he quizzed.