The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected yesterday’s Osun State governorship supplementary election, calling for its cancellation and the declaration of its candidate Ademola Adeleke as the winner.
Based on the result of the election, the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, seemed likely to be declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The results are:
Orolu Ward 9, Unit 3,
APC: 41,
PDP: 64;
Orolu Ward 8, Unit 4,
APC: 128,
PDP: 55;
Orolu Ward 8, Unit 1,
APC: 111,
PDP: 3;
Osogbo LGA Ward 5, Unit 17,
APC: 299,
PDP: 165;
Ife South: Ward 8, Unit 10,
APC: 172,
PDP: 21;
Ife North LGA, Ward 10, Polling Unit II, Oyere II,
APC: 126,
PDP: 2;
Ife South Ward 7, Unit 12,
APC: 283,
PDP: 15.
But at an emergency press briefing in Abuja, National Chairman Uche Secondus alleged that security agents prevented PDP members from accessing polling units to cast their votes. He said: “Today is a black day for Nigeria. The right of the citizens to come out and vote has been trampled upon. The entire state, wards and units have been seized by security agencies acting on behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to make sure the election is rigged by all means.
“We want to remind our security chiefs that they swore to defend Nigeria and defend and protect our parties. Nigeria is a multi-party state, a multi-party nation but what we have witnessed in Osun shows clearly that APC is not ready for the election and we are afraid that Buhari will not hand over if he loses the election next year.”
He, therefore, asked that the exercise should be nullified in all the units where security agencies allegedly chased PDP members away, beat them up and seized their PVCs. Similarly, the state chairman of the party, Soji Adagunodo, issued a statement condemning alleged vote rigging by the APC and security agencies. He claimed that many eligible voters were chased away from their homes in Orolu, Ife North and Ife South Local Government Areas in the early hours of yesterday.
“Scores of our supporters in those local government areas were shot and macheted on their way to polling centres, in the full glare of security men. Hundreds of people holding PVCs from other polling units were accredited and allowed to vote in Osogbo and Ife South Local Government Areas. But the PDP agent in Olode was axed and abducted at about 7:00 a.m. yesterday. “Media men and election observers were denied access in several polling units. By the time access was granted to journalists at about 11:00 a.m., APC agents, acting in connivance with INEC officials, had stuffed ballot boxes.
“It is regrettable that election in seven polling units could not be freely and fairly concluded by INEC. We, therefore, reject any return of results from this sham and call on INEC authorities in Abuja to direct that the so-called supplementary election result collation is put on hold. We equally invite leaders of thought in Nigeria and the international community to rise up and rescue Nigeria’s democracy from being ruined.”
Source: Guardian Newspaper.
