*BEING TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CHAIRMAN, ONDO PDP 2024 GOVERNORSHIP CAMPAIGN COUNCIL, DR EDDY OLAFESO ON THE THREAT TO PEACEFUL ELECTION IN ONDO STATE AT THE PDP STATE SECRETARIAT, AKURE ON THURSDAY, 14TH NOVEMBER, 2024*.
Protocols.
Gentlemen of the Press, we have invited you this morning, to intimate you about activities of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) capable of breaching the peace hitherto experienced in the build up to the November 16 Gubernatorial poll in our Sunshine State.
In the early hours of Wednesday 13th November, 2024 a very well known APC thug in Idanre Local Government, by 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.
We also have it on good authority that the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has approved the Mobilisation of officers of Nigeria Immigration Service, Customs and Nigeria Correctional Service to participate in the Ondo election. Given the antecedents of the Minister where those who contested House Representatives APC Primary election with his favoured candidate were arrested and brutalised by para-military agencies under his supervision, we have cause to believe that, he may be up to the same antics now.
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.
These actions of members of the APC 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.
We use this medium to plead with all security agencies to be very professional in discharging their duties. 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.
At the stakeholders meeting on 2024 Ondo State Governorship Election, held on Thursday, 7th November, 2024 at Akure, 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, it is necessary that the Commission comes clean on the transmission of election results, which was a sore point in the Edo Election.
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 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 hatchet job during all elections. His nomination was compensation for what he did in Edo election. We reject all these characters to be involved in our election.
Thank you all.
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