Adewumi Ademiju and Babatope Okeowo 
…accuses APC of deploying Power of incumbency to Subvert Poll
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation in Ondo State has accused the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), of harnessing the power of incumbency to intimidate the opposition and subvert the election at all costs.
The PDP stated this on Thursday in Akure towards the build-up to the gubernatorial election coming up on Saturday.
The opposition vehemently stated its determination to resist any attempt by the APC to attack its members and manipulate the election.
Also, the opposition alleged of compromise on the part of some INEC officials who are deployed to the Information Communication Technology (ICT) department of the commission.
At a press conference held by the Chairman, Ondo PDP 2024 Governorship Campaign Council, Dr Eddy Olafeso, at the Party’s Secretariat, the state capital alleged that the political activities of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are capable of breaching the usual peaceful conduct of election in the state.
The PDP Chieftain said: “In the early hours of Wednesday 13th November 2024, a very well-known APC thug in Idanre Local Government, by the name Oyewole Aderemi (aka Gulder) led a group of thugs to attack PDP supporters, with guns and machete unprovoked. Seven persons were seriously wounded, especially Otunba Olowoniyi Akinlemimu who is still on admission at the Intensive Care Unit of the State Specialists Hospital, Akure. Others are still receiving treatment after extracting bullets from their bodies.
“Up till this moment, no arrests have been made, and the assailants were given VIP treatment at the APC Grand Finale rally in which the National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, and Vice President, Kashim Shettima, were in attendance.”
Olafeso alleged that “The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, assured the people of Ondo State that 22,239 officers will be on duty on election day. This number, we believe is sufficient to guarantee the safety of the electorate and election materials.
“We condemn in very strong terms, any attempt by the Minister of Interior to use his privileged position in government to undermine peaceful election in Ondo State.”
The PDP leader decried the actions of members of the APC saying these “are clearly in violation of the Peace Accord signed by all parties participating in this election. Any attempt to compromise a free, fair, credible, and transparent election will be resisted through all lawful means.”
The PDP, therefore, appealed and called on all security agencies to be very professional in discharging their duties.
Olafeso said, ” We urge them to remember that a compromised election process is a direct invitation to anarchy. We are a peace-loving people who abhor violence but will resist attempts to take us for granted.
“There is no amount of intimidation and threats that can save the APC from suffering monumental defeat come November 16. We also urge our supporters not to be provoked, no matter what.
The PDP further alleged that: “We also like to add that, Mr. Bayode Lawrence, Director of ICT, from Owo Local Government, Tony Itodo and Mr. Udeoha Endurance all ICT Department staff have been notorious for manipulating an election in the ICT should not be allowed to participate in the Ondo election.
“Mr. A.T Yusuf, a retired INEC Director of Operations, has just been nominated as National Commissioner are those who have always done a hatchet job during all elections.
His nomination was compensation for what he did in the Edo election. We reject all these characters to be involved in our election.
“At the stakeholders meeting on 2024 Ondo State Governorship Election, held on Thursday, 7th November 2024 at Akure, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu spoke glowingly about the Commission’s readiness to transmit Election results from each Polling Unit, but the news making the rounds is contrary to the assurance earlier given by Prof. Yakubu. For the integrity of INEC, the Commission must come clean on the transmission of election results, which was a sore point in the Edo Election”, the PDP said.
