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The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed its concern over an alleged attempts by Governor Seyi Makinde to heat up the polity ahead of the November 16, 2024 govenorship election in Ondo State.
The party warned that the desired free and fair conduct of the poll was under threat as a result of the Governor’s statement while alleging underhand dealings to compromise the process.
LEADERSHIP recalls that Oyo State governor, Engr Seyi Makinde on Tuesday clamoured for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State.
Makinde made the call in Akure during the flag-off of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) govenorship campaign ahead of next month’s election in Ondo state.
Reacting to the call in a statement on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare in Ibadan, Oyo APC urged INEC, security agencies and relevant stakeholders to watch out for “some desperate elements who might want to employ cheap blackmail and intimidation in their desperate bid to mess up the proper conduct of the November poll in Ondo State.
“We found the public conduct of Gov. Makinde in Ondo State yesterday highly embarrassing as he did not represent the good people of Oyo State who have a chequered record of peace-keeping and brotherliness with the rest of the country, particularly in the whole of Yorubaland.
“It is rather unfortunate that a supposed leader from the Pacesetter State would go to a sister state to intimidate the indigenous population in the guise of giving an address during a political campaign.
“Also, we make bold to say that Governor Makinde lacks the moral rights to accuse anyone of plans to compromise the conduct of an election since his emergence as the winner of the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections in Oyo State were made possible on account of abracadabra and unprecedented sharp practices.
“Very soon, we will make public details of his conspiracy with certain academics and authorities in the University of Ibadan in 2019 which handed him victory through the back door.
“The same Gov. Makinde repeated his antics in 2023 with the connivance of some unscrupulous elements within and outside the political turf to secure an unmerited victory, but we have put that behind us.
“Meanwhile, the electoral heist committed by Gov. Makinde and his cohorts during the last botched local government council poll in the state would remain indelible in the sad chapter of the history of the country,” the APC in the state stated.
The party also stated that the local government election held in the state was not only wilfully compromised and bastardised, adding that its sad outcome formed the basis for increased efforts by the relevant stakeholders to sanitise the local government system in the country.
“Pointedly, Gov. Makinde should realise that the INEC Chairman is not Aare Isiaka Olagunju of OYSIEC who he can use to write results in favour of his party (PDP) anytime,” the opposition party said.
It further said the call for the removal of Ondo REC “was irresponsible, reckless and uncalled, for but we understand Gov. Makinde played to the gallery again in his usual style as it exposed his naivety.”
The party maintained that the PDP stood no chance of winning the November poll in Ondo, adding that “it is time the jesters in the umbrella party began preparation for 2028.”
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