The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State on Tuesday alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state has concluded plans with highest echelon at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to postpone the forthcoming by-election in the Osun West senatorial district.
The party, at a press conference in Osogbo on Tuesday also alleged that APC was planning to scuttle the process of free, fair and credible poll in the election that has been scheduled to hold on July 8.
The Chairman of PDP in the state, Mr Soji Adagunodo, who addressed the press on behalf of the party said that some electoral officers were allegedly conniving with scores of APC chieftains to disenfranchise eligible voters at the strongholds of the PDP, by allegedly deleting their names from the voters’ list.
He further alleged that APC had concluded plan to distort the allocation of ballot papers in such a manner that those meant for specific local governments, wards and poling units are diverted to wrong locations so as to delay the commencement of voting and disenfranchise many.
Adagunodo disclosed that the party had a reliable information that APC is already mobilising street urchins within and outside the state to unleash violence in Ede North, Ede south, Egbedore, Irewole, Iwo and Ayedaadelocal governments on election day.
The APC election strategy committee is conniving with certain element in the INEC to recruit OYES cadets and other party sympathisers as presiding officers and polling clerks. Part of the plans is to provide fake NYSC uniform and distribute same to these elements in order to make them carry out this nefarious plan.
“There are plans by the APC to ensure that INEC allocate non-functioning card readers to area considered as stronghold of PDP. This, in their thinking, would slow down accreditation of voters and get voters discouraged.
” We have credible information about the plans of APC and the state government to arrange the kidnap and or arrest of leaders of the PDP in certain local government on the eve of July 8th by-election.
“As we speak, certain chieftains of APC have compiled names of their party members and sympathisers to be accredited by INEC as election observers and monitors.
“You will recalled 181 of these same elements from Osun State were arrested somewhere in Imo State in 2013, while traveling as fake observers for the Anambra governorship election,” he said.
