Amid fears that the election results in Oyo South senatorial district may be manipulated, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against succumbing to pressure to influence results of the election in favour of the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi.
The PDP said it was aware of plans to influence results from Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s Ibadan South West local government area to augment the PDP’s deficit.
Ajimobi is the candidate of the ruling APC in the election.
Reports say a former Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperative, who doubles as the PDP candidate, Dr Mohammed Kola Balogun, is leading in the district, though final results are yet to be officially declared by INEC.
PDP in a statement in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by its chairman, Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha, said that it recorded great success going by the results so far announced.
The PDP said it was aware of plans to influence results from Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s Ibadan South West local government area to augment the PDP’s deficit.
Ajimobi is the candidate of the ruling APC in the election.
The PDP said, “We are calling on INEC to be steadfast and not allow its men to be compromised by Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the All Progressives Congress led federal government especially in Oyo South senatorial district.
“With the results at our disposal and verifiable by all INEC standards, our party is comfortably leading the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in Oyo South. This is apart from the fact that we have recorded victories in four out of the five federal constituencies in Oyo South- Ibarapa East/Ido; Ibadan North East/ South East; Ibarapa Central/North and Ibadan North West federal constituencies. We are only waiting for the official declaration by INEC.
“Since morning, we wouldn’t know why the results declarations have been delayed when they are ready. We have it on good authority that Governor Abiola Ajimobi is mounting pressure on some Abuja forces to save him from defeat. But any attempt to subvert the wish of the majority of the people of Oyo South will be anti-democratic. We will like to, at this juncture, encourage the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr Mutiu Agboke, not to be intimidated by the pressure. He should call his men, especially the Returning Officers to declare the original results from each of the local government.
“As we write, security agents have sent away supporters of our party from the collation centre while known members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are allowed access within the premises. This is after declaration of results from each of the remaining 7 local government areas have been stopped, without any tangible reasons.
“While we are confident of victory, we wish to appeal to our teeming members and thousands of people who defied all odds, and rejected the APC’s vote-buying techniques to be calm. We believe that our candidate has won and nothing can change it. It is not about the amount of government money that you own, but what you’re able to do for the common man that matters”.
But, Publicity Secretary of the APC, Dr. Abdulazeez Olatunde, while reacting, said that the PDP should not be afraid it if had not committed any crime.
Olatunde, in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST said, “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Why will they be afraid. How do they know that someone want to rig if they had not commit any crime? They should not be afraid. It is only those who commit an offence that is afraid. They should not be afraid”.
