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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has raised the alarm over alleged plan by the Accord and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of an ongoing alliance with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that would make them disenfranchise a population of eligible voters in some local governments in the state where the APC is most popular.
The party in a statement by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Olawale Sadare, claimed that the plan was part of a grand design by the Presidency to whittle down the effect of the increasing popularity of the candidates of the APC and the resolve of the majority of electorate to vote for change in the forthcoming general elections.
The statement read: “We have been inundated with first hand reports of series of secret meetings between some agents of the PDP and Electoral Officers on the one hand as well as the leadership of the Accord Party and the top echelon of INEC in the state on the other hand in recent times all of which have anti free and fair elections as motive.
“In all of the clandestine meetings, agents of the PDP and Accord Party which included high profile members did brandish evidence of support from the presidency to work out every possible means to mitigate the effect of overwhelming support which most voters have demonstrating for the APC and it candidates so that it would not translate to humiliating defeat for the president.
“As the working alliance between the gubernatorial candidate of the Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, and the presidency (through the wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan) is still in place, both the PDP and AP are on the same as it concerns the need to use some compromising INEC officials to disenfranchise prospective voters in some local government councils across the state.
“The plan is designed to involve cloning of a good number of PVCs belonging to innocent voters in some areas known to be populated by APC die-hard supporters and thus nullify their chances of casting their votes for Gen. Buhari, Sen. Ajimobi and other APC candidates. Some LGs across Ibadan less city, Oyo, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa axis have being selected for the evil exercise.
“Electoral Officers in the selected LGs are being made to provide voters detail contained in their registration data bank which some hired experts would clone for usage before normal voting on election days and thereby leave the original voter stranded. Heavy budget has been prepared for the malpractice and we urge officers already recruited to retrace their step by backing of the deal.
“This particular ploy, which has deployment of security agents to rig elections as its component, is just a Plan B while the Plan A remains non-conduct of the general elections. In spite of this, we urge Nigerians to remain resolute in their agitation for Change and increase their individual as well as collective level of vigilance to make real the desire to reclaim our dear country from the hands of the PDP cabal.”
But Accord, in a reaction by the Director General of Sen. Rashidi Campaign Organization, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke, described the allegation as “spurious and malicious,” stressing that there is no such move.
Our attention has been drawn to the allégation of Gov Abiola Ajimobi against our gubernatorial candidate,Sen Sen Rashidi Ladoja over the permanent voters cards.The Ladoja Campaign Organisation considered the allégation to be spurious,malicious and,an attempt on the part of the Governor Ajimobi-led government to cover up its connivence with INEC.
I want to say it authoritatively and unequivocally that there was(and still)no working relationship between Sen Rashidi Ladoja and INEC as being alleged by Sen Abiola Ajimobi.
The allegation of Sen Abiola Ajimobi was borne out of frustration because of the rise in the popularity and acceptability of Sen. Rashidi Ladoja in the State.”
Newspeakonline.com could not reach the Publicity Secretary of the PDP on telephone as at press time.