Politics

Guber poll: We won fair and square, says Ogun APC

Published

1 year ago

March 22, 2023

The All Progressives Congress in Ogun State has maintained that it “won fair and square” the gubernatorial elections held on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

In a press statement issued in Abeokuta Tuesday evening and signed by the APC’s State Publicity Secretatry, Tunde Oladunjoye, the party posited that “the election itself was largely peaceful and the outcome was a true reflection of the wishes of the good people of Ogun State.”

The statement reads further: Despite political thuggery, vote–buying and violence perpetrated by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun people stood firm and ensured their votes counted.”

“We all witnessed how these desperate politicians band their gullible followers, bent on wrestling power by force, broke all rules of civility and violated electoral guidelines with reckless abandon.

“Our party, the All Progressives Congress, not only won the election with majority votes, but also won in 12 of the 20 Local Government Areas in Ogun State. In addition, our party won 17 out of the 26 State House of Assembly constituency seats.

“In flagrant disobedience of the Electoral Act (2022) and the guidelines stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) restricting movement on the Election Day, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, had a free reing, criss-crossing from one polling unit to the other and moving across local governments and senatorial districts. His long convoy had armed thugs, people in police uniform with guns, and others accompanying him. They harassed electoral officers, induced voters with cash, credit cards and transferred funds at will to sway voters against all known democratic norms.

“Again, the PDP candidate and his running mate, Abdulkadir Adekunle Akinlade were sighted around 12 midnight at the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Secretariat, which served as the Collation Centre for the LGA. Accompanied by well over 50 thugs, wielding cudgels, cutlasses, dangerous weapons and guns; they attempted to force their ways into the Collation Centre by impersonating the Returning Officer. A worse scenario later played out at the Oke Ilewo Office of the INEC where collation for Abeokuta South Local Government was taking place.

“There, the thugs fired several gunshots and used tear gas canisters on defenceless staff and party agents to disrupt proceeding.”

“Another unwholesome practice deployed by the Ladi Adebutu political machine was unbridled vote buying. Instances abound across all the 20 local government areas where they induced electorate to vote. Early that day, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested four PDP party agents with hundreds of thousands of money credits cards meant to buy votes at Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta. Each of these card was pre-loaded with N10,000 and meant to be activated to cash with a code.

“Another PDP agent was arrested with hundreds verve pre-paid credit cards with the name Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme at Agbado in Ifo Local Government and over 300 Permanent Voters Cards were found on the suspect by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives.

“It is on record that a number of polling units and electoral materials were vandalised in some areas by these paid thugs even as security agents became helpless in those units.

“More curious is the fact that some APC chieftains were invited to Police Headquarters at Eleweran in Abeokuta 48 hours to the election for no just reason other than intimidation”.

“Despite these shenanigans from the PDP and its twin-sister, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the people of Ogun State stood firm and chose good governance over cash-and-carry candidates. We urge our politicians to exhibit maturity by conceding defeat where and when it is obvious that they have been thoroughly trounced as was the case in the last Governorship election in our dear State.

“Finally, we advise the candidates that lost election last Saturday to accept the magnanimous olive branch offered by the winner of the election, His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun and join him in his ‘Building Our Future Together Agenda’. The Ogun State Project is everybody’s project”, the statement reads.

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Politics

Yahaya Bello: Kogi indigenes To EFCC: Don’t Allow Embittered, Ethnic Jingoists Lead You Astray

Published

2 months ago

May 29, 2024

The Gleamer

From Our Correspondent

Indigenes of Kogi State have cautioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against those they described as embittered and desperate ethnic jingoists who are strengthening the public opinion that the Commission is collaborating with certain opposition figures to persecute the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

The indigenes said since the allegation of corruption by the EFCC against the former Governor became a national discourse, “some persons who are afraid of chasing their dreams at the polls have hidden under the veneer of activism to sponsor their tribesmen to impugn on the character of ex Governor Yahaya Bello maliciously”.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, chairman of the forum, Benjamin Oguche noted that those still calling for the arrest of Bello even in the face of an ongoing court process, were either uninformed or out to rubbish the image of EFCC while pursuing their prolonged vendetta mission.

The Kogi youth leaders said this particular group had consistently pursued a “we against them” agenda, causing division and hate among the ethnic groups in Kogi, spreading falsehood and propaganda to the public on the matter.

“It is sad and regrettable that the so-called corruption allegation against Bello, which remains an allegation until established in the court of law, has become an opportunity for chronic political failures to unleash their intolerance and deep-rooted frustration on a state that our founding fathers have laboured so hard to unite.

“Without credible reasons, they have been said to have mobilised resources to fight him for daring to govern a state he hails from and for overseeing a free and fair election which produced another governor, not from their fold,” they stated.

According to them, the polarisation, ethnic and religious colouration that have been introduced in recent times into the EFCC trial of the immediate past Governor calls for worry, especially among every Kogi indigene who has a firm belief in the peaceful co-existence of the state as an indivisible entity.

“Suffice to say that what we see playing out today is a microcosm of what our country represents, where the so called minority is discriminated against, sidelined and treated like a lesser citizen in a country he has made equal, if not greater, contributions to building. The so called minority has been made to believe his voice does not count and his fundamental right to pursue social, economic and political interest taken away.

“Since through divine providence that former Governor Yahaya Bello became governor in 2016, several arrow of ethnic bitterness, needless attacks and corruption profiling have been targetted at him and his government for no offence other than for the simple reason that the responsibility to lead our dear state at that time fell on his shoulder.

“While God saw him through his four years in office, the people of our dear state equally and overwhelmingly renewed their mandate for him, sending him to go again, amidst hate campaign, violence attacks and ethnic war by some ethnic driven elites who have sworn never to allow certain ethnic groups have a taste of leading the state.

While this gathering is not about catalogue of exploits he achieved and the records he broke within these eight years, it is important to note that since he left office, same known tribal jingoists and ethnic champions have been having sleepless nights plotting the downfall of the man.

“The anti-Bello protests in the UK last week, Lagos last week and Abuja today highlight the glaring danger those they regard as minority ethnic groups face in the hands of those who feel that their population is for the purpose of suppressing the fundamental rights of others to seek political interest. One continues to wonder where the protesters gathered the money to go on a protest spray, if some people are not bankrolling them, which suggest a sinister plan different from genuine fight against corruption as the public is made to understand.

“We understand that the case for which these hate-induced protests are going on is in the court and the court is a place of orderliness where every party will push their stands without necessarily drawing dagger to murder our peace. We are, however, surprised that dimension of sustained protests have been added to their inglorious mission.

“We have often expressed our confidence in the judiciary and irrespective of how long it could take, the wheel of justice must grind to a logical end. We, however, frown at the seeming open hands the EFCC has been showing to the protesters which is fuelling an unfortunate suspicion that must be immediately corrected.

“While we welcome in its entirety the probe of the former Governor, we, however, reject the deliberate image smearing against him. We call on the EFCC to disregard the propaganda of ethnic agents and face the task of diligent prosecution,” the youth leaders advised.

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