The undeclared winner of last Saturday’s Osun governorship election, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has written to diplomatic missions in Nigeria, raising alarm over threats to his life and a clampdown on his supporters, ahead of today’s supplementary polls.
In the letter already despatched to diplomatic missions and made available to media houses, Adeleke catalogued the many infractions in the last Saturday polls.
They included the refusal of INEC to declare him the winner in line with the constitution, the killing and maiming of his supporters, the arrest of key leaders on trumped up charges and the manipulations of the electoral process.
“I am constrained to write this letter to intimate you, our diplomatic partners and friends of despotic happenings in Osun governorship polls which I won but for which I was not declared the winner. My life is under threat and leaders of my party are under siege before and after Saturday main polls.
“During the campaigns, we were subjected to countless attacks. I escaped about four assassination attempts. Our campaign vehicles were severallly attacked and our rallies disrupted. We went through the pre-election process under constant onslaught from political thugs and merchants of violence.
“Despite the violence prone climate, I still won the election. On live television, our votes were removed and protestations for re-addition of the votes were rejected. Votes for the ruling party were jerked up and again the electoral umpire refused to correct the arithmetical errors. After all the manipulations which saw about 4000 votes removed from my total votes, I still won by close to 400 votes.
“In a brazen assault on democracy, the returning officer in open breach of the constitution refused to declare me the winner even after fulfilling constitutional stipulations. The officer erroneously justified declaration of the election as inconclusive based on violence in seven out of about 3000 voting units across the state. It was a travesty of justice that is under challenge in court of law.
“Not satisfied with that rape of democracy, the ruling, APC immediately launched a coordinated manipulation agenda to rig the Thursday supplementary polls. Voters register of affected areas are been doctored; unclaimed voters cards are been shared out; massive vote buying are ongoing;and my supporters are been hounded. Democracy is clearly under threats.
“The agenda of the ruling party is to ensure that votes do not count. The target is to thwart the will of the people. The APC is out to subvert the will of the people ,an action that will have deeply negative impact on the sanctity of the electoral process ahead of 2019 polls,” Adeleke said in the letter.
He then called on the international community “to prevail on President Muhammad Buhari to allow votes to count by restoring my mandate”, adding “We count on you to mount pressure on the ruling party to restore people’s mandate in Osun state.
“We make this request because Osun state is the cradle of Yoruba people. Denying them their inalienable right to pick their governor is a potent threat to democratic sustainability in Nigeria. Our nascent democracy has been under intense pressure and it is not in our collective interest to deepen the national stress index.
“We seek your intervention to prevent another rigging underway in Osun state. I am the holder of the sacred mandate of Osun people. We need the international community to assist Nigeria to make votes count,” he said.
The letter was sent to European Union, United States and several diplomatic missions in Nigeria and the United Nations.
There are plots to disrupt process – Police
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Joshak Habila, has said the force has got wind of plans to disrupt today’s rerun election in Osun Satte.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, yesterday, Habila said the police and security agency would however, not permit any breakdown of law and order during the process.
He said anyone found wanting would be made to face the wrath of the law.
“We have an intelligence report that, there is a grand plan to turn the election gruesomely violent and deadly by arming thugs to unleash mayhem at polling centres,” he said.
“As law enforcement agencies, the police and other security agencies would not permit the breakdown of law and order.
“Those of them preparing for ‘fire for fire’ must be ready to bear the consequences of their actions which are designed to undermine this particular democratic process.
“It should be noted that the Nigeria Police Force will remain proactive and would not rest on its oars in the task to decode the identities of those democratic enemies.
“Residents are requested to be law abiding and go about their lawful duties without fear and with the full assurance of the protection of law abiding citizens and voters who are out there to exercise their franchise.
“The Police and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed to maintain law and order and protect lives and property of residents.
“Troublemakers and other interlopers are warned to keep away from the polling units and indeed from any part of the state. The police and other security agencies will leave no stone unturned to protect lives and property and maintain peace.”
PDP reveals who will give candidate victory
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said God will grant its candidate in the Osun State governorship election, Ademola Adeleke victory during today’s rerun election.
PDP’s National Vice Chairman, South South, Eddy Olafeso, stated this while insisting that the party was hoping on God, not individuals adding that the party has already won the supplementary election.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, on Tuesday, Olafeso said, “For us, we are very confident that victory will be ours tomorrow. We already won anyway.
“We met with the leaders but victory is in the hands of God… even if people play around, God will not play around. He’ll determine the outcome of the election.”
He also accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of taking the state backwards.
“What is on ground is clear to all: eight years of total profligacy in Osun State. We will continue to speak with leaders, some of them will listen to us while some will do their own thing,” he said.
“PDP is not bothered because our people are resolute. And they are desirous in ensuring that the victory denied us on Saturday will eventually be ours.
“We have spoken to our people and we are certain that their experience from the current administration is enough for the need for a change that will bring development to the nation.”
Omisore finally picks APC over PDP
Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Iyiola Omisore, has entered into an alliance with the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Osun state governorship rerun election.
The alliance means a setback for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had been banking on the support of Omisore to take over leadership of the state from the APC.
Omisore, who placed a distant third in the inconclusive election, has been under pressure from the PDP and APC because Ife, his stronghold, is among the four local government areas where the rerun would hold.
Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki led some PDP leaders to the Ife residence of Omisore on Monday while 24 hours after, Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, four governors, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and a high-ranking APC legislator met with Omisore.
He had initially failed to endorse any of the leading parties, asking his supporters to go with any party that shares the interest of SDP.
But addressing reporters at his Ife residence yesterday, he said his party had decided to endorse APC.
“We have accepted to support the APC for victory in the rerun election tomorrow and thereafter form a coalition government,” he said.
Addressing journalists in Abuja earlier on Wednesday, PDP national vice-chairman (south-west), Eddy Olafeso, said the party was relying on God to secure victory in the rerun.
He said this while responding to a question on the outcome of the meeting with Omisore.
“We met with the leaders but victory is in the hands of God… even if people play around, God will not play around. He’ll determine the outcome of the election,” he had said.
However, the National Chairman of SDP, Olu Falae, distanced himself and the party from Omisore’s decision. He further stated that the choice made by the aspirant was not a party decision.
When ChannelsTV contacted him on the telephone yesterday, Falae said, “All I want to say is that, as the National Chairman, I was not consulted. Therefore, I am not a party to his (Omisore’s) decision.
“That is all I intend to say, not a word more,” Falae said.
…Aregbesola declares holiday
The Osun State Government has declared today (Thursday) as public holiday to enable electorate to vote in the rerun gubernatorial election in the state.
A statement by Sola Fasure, the Media Aide to Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo, yesterday, noted that “the public holiday is to enable workers participate in the rerun governorship election.”
The governorship election was declared inconclusive and a re-run ordered, because the number of cancelled votes was higher than the margin between the two top candidates.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke, was leading with 254,698 votes, while his closest rival of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola, had 254,345 votes, a difference of 353 votes.
The margin was, however, less than the 3,498 votes in the polling units where voting was cancelled.
Consequently, the INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joseph Afuwape, declared the poll inconclusive and ordered a re-run.
