Osun PDP Raises The Alarm Over Alleged Planned Violence, Election Manipulation By APC

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The Joint Legal, Media and Security Committee of the Osun State Governorship Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party has raised the alarm over an alleged planned violence and compromise of the July governorship election in the state by the All Progressives Congress.

In a press conference addressed by the committee on Tuesday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the PDP accused the APC of having “three evil agenda” ahead of the July 16 governorship poll, “whose”, it claimed, “implementation has started going by recent sad developments in the state.”

The press statement, which was signed by the Senator Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation’s Chairman, Legal Committee, Niyi Owolade, and Chairman, Media And Strategy Committee, Prince Diran Odeyemi, partly read, “We are here to list emerging time bombs the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress is planting to pre-determine the outcome of the forthcoming polls and deny suffering masses of Osun State the constitutionally guaranteed rights to select their Governor under a free and fair electoral process.

“Our press briefing is focusing on three evil agenda of the APC whose implementation has started going by recent sad developments in the state. These include direct violence on (the) PDP leaders and supporters, appointment of a compromised State Returning Officer in person of the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, and deployment of ill-gotten wealth to buy votes and compromise the electoral architecture.

“At a time the PDP is mobilising the people of the state for mass participation, we regret to announce that the APC is preoccupied with how to kill, maim and rig the election under an advanced anti-people agenda.”

The party accused the APC in the state of using members of the Amotekun Corps to attack and kill supporters of the PDP.

“In the last three weeks, (the) APC has embarked on systematic attacks on (the) PDP supporters using the Amotekun operatives. This violent agenda reached a peak few days ago with the gruesome killing in cold blood of Akinpelu Kasim and Waheed Adebayo, and shooting of Adesina Opeyemi, innocent citizens, who were shot dead by some Amotekun Corps (officers) on Tuesday 14th June, 2022, around 9am at Asoje Area, Osogbo, Osun State.

“It is regrettable that the Amotekun Security Outfit established for the purpose of strengthening regional security of boundaries to curb the activities of bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, etc. has now become a tool of oppression and attack in the hands of some desperate politicians of the ruling Party in Osun State, the APC, launching offensive weapons and dangerous ammunition to intimidate, oppress and harass members of the PDP in Osun State so as to desperately have their way in the coming Osun Governorship election in less than 30days from now,” the PDP said in the press conference.

The party further alleged that officers of the Amotekun Corps were providing cover for “the APC political thugs and move around with the said thugs to intimidate and oppress especially members of the PDP, but this has now degenerated to shooting at and killing of innocent citizens. The identified Amotekun Corps are (1)Tajudeen Adeleke (2)Azeez Tirimisiyu (3) Adeoye Lateef (4) Nafisat (5) Olawuyi Opeyemi (5) Odelade Adetayo (6) Adegbesan Adebayo (7) Idowu Fatai (7) Ajiboye Oluwaseun (8) Afolabi Peter (9) Ayobami Obaluwa.

“A notorious thug, masquerading as chieftain of National Union of Road Transport Workers in the State, Asiri Eniba and his squad are the major tools of the violent attacks, but the dimension introduced to it by the Osun State Command of the South West Security Outfit called the Amotekun is worrisome, insulting, offensive and criminal to the extent that killing, maiming and harassment of citizens (are) now business as usual. It is also regrettable to note that the said Asiri Eniba has some security details (SPU) attached to him by the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police, influenced by the Governor Oyetola-led APC government in Osun State. This gives him a free hand and the impetus to operate wickedly and violently while the police always looked the other way,” the PDP alleged.