Peter Dada, Akure
The Ondo State chapter of the Alliance
for Democracy has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of
planning to arrest and jail leaders of the opposition party.
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Addressing a news conference in Akure,
on Tuesday, a chieftain of the AD, Mr. Tolu Babaleye, said the plan to
arrest and jail some Ondo AD leaders was hatched after President
Muhammadu Buhari visited Akure to campaign.
Specifically, Babaleye said that the
Director General, Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation, Bola Ilori, and
some leaders of the AD in various local government areas had been
pencilled for arrest and would be detained till after the election
coming up on Saturday.
The party also said that a serving
governor in the South-West and a serving minister from the South-West
were leading the clampdown against the AD leaders in Ondo State.
Babaleye said, “The plan to arrest and
detain our leaders has been uncovered. The APC leaders, including a
serving governor of the South-West and a serving minister, are the ones
behind the plot.
“They’ve mobilised people, security and
money to achieve the plot. They are desperate to crown their stooge as
governor of Ondo State. The people of Ondo will not accept rigging,
intimidation and harassment.”
The party called on Buhari to ensure
that the election went free and fair, adding that the number of
inconclusive elections in the country was worrisome.
“President Muhammadu Buhari must show
that his administration is ready to live above board. Elections should
not be a do-or-die affair. The coalition of evil forces against Oke
shall not prosper.
“The APC leaders from Ogun and Ekiti
states have stormed Ondo State to execute the plot to instal the APC
candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, by all means.
“They are afraid because they know that
Oke remains the strongest of all the candidates in the race. The fear of
Oke is the beginning of wisdom for them,” the AD said.
Meanwhile, the Action Alliance on Tuesday declared support for Oke.
The National Secretary of the AA, Mr.
Kenneth Eze, who announced this, explained that the party had resolved
to work with the AD candidate in the November 26 election.
He stated this at the grand finale of
the campaign of the AA held at the Democracy Park in Akure, the Ondo
State capital, on Tuesday.
Eze said, “For the purpose of this
election, the National Executive Committee of our party has resolved to
merge our party’s structure with that of the AD candidate, Olusola Oke.
Instead of voting for AA on the election day, our members will give Oke
their votes and I am sure their votes will count to make Oke win the
election.”
Corroborating Eze, the candidate of the
AA for the election, Mr. Yinka Orokoto, said though he was still the
candidate of the AA for the election, his supporters should vote for
Oke.
“Don’t vote for the AA again, vote for
the Alliance for Democracy in the election on Saturday,” Orokoto told
his supporters, some whom were also at the campaign ground.
Addressing his supporters, the AD
candidate, Oke, insisted that there would be no room for rigging in
Saturday’s election, saying all the people of the state would stand by
their votes.
He said he was the most popular and experienced candidate who would transform the fortunes of the state for the better.
He said, “They don’t want to campaign;
we hear that they are planning to rig the election but that will not be
possible for them. We are all watching them; we want to see how they
want to do it.”
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