Less than 12 hours to the beginning of the 9 August election in the Nigerian State of Osun, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been firing several accusations from its arsenal against the Peoples Democratic Party and some government agents saddled with the responsibility to ensure a free and fair poll.
In one breath, the APC accused the new Police Commissioner of distributing cash to police personnel and soldiers so they can work to give the PDP victory in Saturday’s governorship election in the State.
In a statement issued in Osogbo on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party alleged that Maishanu distributed
the money after addressing the police personnel and soldiers at the NYSC camp in Ede on Friday, during which he told them point blank that
his mission is to ensure PDP’s victory at the elections.
It said the new police boss gave every police officer present 50,000 Naira; other ranks 30,000 Naira each and every non-commissioned
soldier 45,000 Naira.
In another breath, the party called for the removal from the state, two prominent members of the PDP, who it suspected are there to rig the election for the PDP candidate.
”We salute the courage and patriotism of some security agents who gave us this valuable information, and who have vowed never to do
anything to subvert the country’s constitution and its democracy, whether or not they are being lured to do so with filthy lucre.
”The fact that there are still good men and women even in the security agencies that have become highly-partisan gives us hope that
our country’s democracy will survive this unprecedented assault from those who swore an oath to uphold the constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria,” APC said.
The party wondered where the Police Commissioner got the huge amounts of cash he gave away so casually in order to use security agencies to
thwart the will of the people.
It said even as the police boss was sharing out the money in Ede, Chris Uba, a hireling of the PDP, was setting down in Osogbo with the
50 troops he was given from Enugu with the mission to use the result sheets already given to him to manipulate the results of the election,
as well as to harass and brutalize any APC member who would not let the PDP carry out its rigging plan, earlier exposed by the APC, during
Saturday’s election.
”Where else in the world will the government give a man who is not in the military 50 troops to command, for the purpose of rigging an
election? It is now very clear that the PDP’s desperation to win at all cost in Osun is right from the top! Now, neither the Chief of Army
Staff nor the Inspector General of Police can exonerate themselves from the PDP’s rigging manual.
”And of course the man behind all this is President Goodluck Jonathan, who keeps assuring the international community of his
commitment to free and fair elections even as he continues to lead the process of subverting credible polls. After all, the President is
responsible for the conduct of all public officials appointed by him.
The party said those who are colluding with the desperate PDP to subvert democracy today must realize that power is transient, and that
in the fullness of time, everyone will account for his or her actions.
”Today we may be in opposition, but that position itself is not permanent. This is why we have consistently fought for our nation’s
democracy to survive. We remain confident that with the support of Nigerians, the PDP’s evil machination, whether in Osun or anywhere
else, will fail,” it said.
