18th June, 2014
The National Chairman of the APC, John Oyegun has accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP of planning to rig the Ekiti State gubernatorial election slated for Saturday 21 June in favour of Ayo Fayose, its candidate.
Oyegun who made the allegation of rigging in his speech on Wednesday during the inauguration of new executives elected to run the party last week said there are indications that the PDP has is bent on rigging the elections and writing the results of the elections in Ekiti even before the polls.
Oyegun attributed his conclusions to a series of events which he said have taken place in the past two days.
He added that his party would “accept the outcome of the election in Ekiti unless the authorities provide convincing explanations to the series of questionable developments in recent times.
“Many developments have occurred that have exposed the covert and criminal effort to subvert the rights of the citizens of Ekiti and the country’s electoral law.”
The APC Chairman listed the incidents to include the arrest of about 11 persons, who were allegedly thumb printing printed ballot papers, by security operatives at a building owned by Fayose’s campaign manager; and the gun attack on Fayemi and APC supporters by the police leading to the death of one of them.
Oyegun mentioned Musiliu Obanikoro, the Minister of State for Defence as the arrow head of the rigging plot.
“On Tuesday 17 June 2014, two loaded aircraft landed at the Akure airport with undisclosed content.
“The presence of the Minister of State, Defence, Musliu Obanikoro who was on ground to ensure the safe delivery of the cargoes suggests official collusion and knowledge.
“The contents were immediately loaded into a bullion van under the watchful eyes of the Minister of State, Defence, Obanikoro,” he said.
He added that “This series of developments and events are undeniable pointers to a desperate plot to rig the elections at all cost.
“We warn Mr. President, that election rigging in the past has always had serious consequences for the government in power and the country as a whole.
“As it happened in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Republics. The APC will not fold its arms and watch the electoral process being brazenly subverted.
“Our party will not accept any result from Ekiti that does not flow from a transparent election.
“We are not asking for any favors. We only demand a free and fair election.”
The party also called on the international community to be vigilant on the elections.
“For our friends in the international community, there is no better time to speak up against these tendencies and ominous signs. They need no further pointers to know that some people are desperate,” said the APC Chairman.