The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Thursday rose from an emergency meeting with a call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare its candidate in the September 22, 2018 governorship election in Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke winner of the election.
Describing Thursday’s re-run election as a black day for the nation, the party’s national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus described the exercise as a mockery of the electoral process even as he noted that democracy was under siege with the rights of voters, trampled upon.
ICYMI: Voting ends in Osun supplementary election
The party expressed concern that if what took place in Osun happens in 2019, “the future of Nigerian democracy is bleak and the nation sliding into crisis.
“What we have witnessed in Osun show clearly that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is not ready for election and we are afraid that President Muhammadu Buhari will not handover if he loses election next year.
“We the members of the National Working Committee, NWC, having reviewed what has happened, from the distribution of materials to the actual voting that has taken place in some of the units and wards; we found that Osun is under siege. Therefore, today is a black day for Nigeria.
“We would think that it is a state or some units, but if you look at what has transpired so far from Ekiti to Osun state, Nigerians are groaning in pains especially the Osun people. The right of the citizens to be able to come out and vote has been trampled upon and the entire state and the wards and units have been seized by the security agencies who are acting on behalf of APC to make sure the election is rigged by all means,” Secondus said.
The PDP Chairman added that party members, supporter and citizens of Osun are weeping for the soul of Nigeria, warning those perpetrating evil to watch, wait and see what would happen next.
He continued: “We want to remind our security chiefs that they swore to defend Nigeria and not to defend and protect one party. Nigeria is a multi-party state, but what we have witnessed in Osun shows clearly that APC is not ready for election and we are afraid that Buhari will not handover if he loses election next year,” he said.
He called on INEC to immediately cancel the elections in all the units where security agencies seized the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) of PDP members and also where their members were prevented from voting.
Also speaking, Deputy National Chairman, South-west of the party, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, accused security agencies of colluding with the ruling party by allowing those wearing uniform bearing the APC governorship name to vote.
He pointed out that in Orolu and Garage Olode, the PVCs of PDP members were seized, alleging that INEC staff were induced with cash they could not resis.
“The APC governorship candidate is given a free hand to do whatever he wants to do, while our people are muscled away from the units “They arrested our leaders especially in Osogbo.
Alhaji Diekola is still in custody and Dr. Muyiwa Oladimeji is still in custody. Our people have been harassed and chased away like animals from where they were supposed to carry out their civic duties,” he lamented.
