Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, bickered over alleged plans to compromise the poll.
The PDP, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, alleged that APC leaders in Ondo had made plans to compromise the election.
APC members smuggled in as presiding officers —PDP
Peretei alleged that the ruling party, has submitted a list of two persons who are APC members per Polling Unit to INEC to serve as Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers, even when these persons did not attend the training.
The statement read in part: “The Peoples Democratic Party Ondo State Chapter, wishes to alert the public that, the APC is banking on compromising the election at all costs, having failed tragically to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
“The entire world is watching and this move by the party’s State Chairman ,Ade Adetimehin, has vindicated our consistent call for the redeployment of Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner.
“Our party wishes to admonish all actors to play according to the rule. The entire world is watching, and nobody can hide behind one finger.”
The Director-General of the Agboola Ajayi Campaign Council, Dr Eddy Olafeso, also alleged that the APC had hired thugs from neighbouring states to disrupt the elections in some parts of the state.
According to him “APC is preparing to bring thugs to Ondo State to fight the opposition.
“I have security information that the party is importing thugs from Ekiti, Kogi, and Edo, and we are waiting for them.
To counter allegation, APC Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye, said: “It is not true. We have no reason to contemplate compromising the election. We have worked very hard; we have worked for the people.
“We have campaigned across the 18 local government areas, and we are prepared. We have appealed to the people, and they have shown understanding and a willingness to support the party.
“Therefore, we have no reason to even consider compromising the election; it is simply not true. This is just one of those fabrications from the PDP.”
On the allegation that the party chairman had a list of pre-selected ad-hoc staff with the INEC to manipulate the election, Kalejaye said: “There is absolutely no reason to do that. Our strategy is to campaign. We will not go to the extent of doing anything unconstitutional just to win an election. We have done the work we set out to do, and we are confident that the people are with us. There is no reason to take any improper actions to secure a victory.”
(Vanguard)
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