Allegation, infantile blackmail – PDP
By Bode Olagoke and Samuel Ogidan, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has uncovered the PDP’s ‘manual to rig’ tomorrow’s governorship election in Osun state, “complete with projected fake results in all the 30 local government areas of the state.”
At a press conference yesterday in Osogbo, the APC chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, said the rigging plans were contained in two documents prepared by the PDP in Osun, and “which are now in the possession of the APC.”
He said: “The first is a secret document marked ‘highly confidential’ that contains a meticulous outline of plans to rig the election, polling unit by polling unit, using pre-programmed ballot papers already designed and thumb- printed with vanishing ink in favour of PDP.
“The second document, entitled ‘Task Force: Operation (PDP) Takeover of Osun,’ lists the actions to be taken at most of the 30 local government areas in the state, including thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes and instigation of violent clashes, the PDP members to coordinate the recommended actions and the APC members to be arrested to pave the way for such actions.
“The secret document further contains the plan to deploy specified numbers of impression ballot papers and vanishing ink in 1,195 polling units across 155 wards in all local government areas of Osun state, in addition to a plan to de-register 47,000 voters, whose Voters Identification Numbers have been illegally acquired so they won’t find their names on the voters register on election day.”
The APC gave the breakdown of the self-allotted figures, as contained in the document, as follows: Atakumosa East (10,000); Atakumosa West (10,000), Ayedaade (15,000), Ayedire (10,000), Boluwaduro (5,000); Boripe (10,000); Ede North (10,130); Ede South (10,000); Egbedore (10,000); Ejigbo (15,000); Ife Central (35,000); Ifedayo (7,000); Ife ast (33,018); Ifelodun (15,000) and Ife North (20,000).
Others listed in the alleged rigging document are: Ife South (20,000); Ila (10,000); Ilesa East (10,000); Ilesa West (10,340); Irepodun (10,007); Irewole (20,105); Isokan (10,000); Iwo (15,000); Obokun (10,203); Odo-Otin (10,107); Ola-Oluwa (5,070); Olorunda (15,000); Oriade (10,000); Orolu (7,936 and Osogbo (28,000).
In its response yesterday, the PDP dismissed Oyegun’s allegation, describing it as an “infantile blackmail” unbecoming of his office and status.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the PDP said the allegations were completely wild, baseless and mere fabrications aimed at distracting PDP members and supporters and discourage them from fully participating in the election.
It said the allegation was a ploy by the APC to make its members and supporters over-confident and divert attention to their own sinister plan.
Stating that there will be no room for rigging, the PDP said: “The process of accreditation, voting, counting of votes and declaration of results will be openly observed by the print, electronic and social media as well as local and international observers.”
The PDP said one of the legacies of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is free, fair and credible polls adding that “such will in no way be compromised in Osun or any other election for that matter.”
It called on its members and supporters to completely disregard the APC and come out enmasse to vote for its candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, stressing that it remains focused on the election having worked very hard to earn the confidence and support of the people of Osun state.
The party reminded Nigerians of the fact that for the APC, elections are only free and fair when they win and rigged when they lose.
