*Free, fair elections not easy with PDP – Concerned Citizens
By Bashir Adefaka
“Commendably, the police already have in its custody a PDP stalwart who led other PDP leaders to buy up voters cards ahead of Thursday’s governorship rerun. There however remains much to be done to ensure the credibility of the forthcoming rerun election.”
In furtherance to its earlier statement on alleged plans by opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig Thursday’s Osun State governorship rerun election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has fresh facts that regarding an ongoing buying and cloning of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) by PDP agents.
This came via a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by National Publicity of the APC, Mr. Yekini Nabena, just as some concerned Nigerians told The DEFENDER how, during the last Saturday electoral exercise in Osun, an Ilorin, Kwara State senior Federal legislative executive connived with other PDP leaders to make Osun electorates submit their PVCs for money after taking oath with, asking the individual to jump over a Dane gun.
One of them said, “It is not easy for PDP to survive in situation of heavily security, free, fair and credible elections. So, as for Osun, from last Saturday till coming Thursday’s re-run, they will continue to find desperate means of getting votes and that is what they are doing compromising everybody including even APC agents, leaders and corpers hired by INEC to conduct credible elections for the people of Osun State but who themselves are unpatriotically collapsing into the tricks of the irresponsible politicians.”
The APC, in what appears similar to the information independently received by this online newspaper, said the act of cloning PVCs by PDP is viewed by it as out of the ordinary as, according to Nabena, it smacks of desperation on the part of the opposition to take Osun State by all illegal means.
The statement read in full: “The statement said, As a follow-up to our earlier statements on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) plans to rig Thursday’s Osun State governorship rerun election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has received fresh reports from our field agents on the ongoing cloning of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) by PDP agents.
“We view this development as bizarre and a sign of the desperation of the PDP to takeover Osun State by all illegal means.
“While we call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently investigate the development and promptly arrest persons behind the cloning, we strongly advise INEC to ensure that its voters register is not tampered with.
“Also, we call on INEC and security agencies to speak publicly on measures being taken to stop the ongoing vote buying by PDP agents which has become widespread in the State.
“We call for calm in the face of the already tense situation caused the PDP’s now public rigging plot. The Osun electorate must remain alert and resist any plot to subvert the people’s will and manipulate the rerun election.
“Commendably, the police already have in its custody a PDP stalwart who led other PDP leaders to buy up voters cards ahead of Thursday’s governorship rerun. There however remains much to be done to ensure the credibility of the forthcoming rerun election.”
