The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Ademola Adeleke, engaged in vote-buying during Saturday’s inconclusive Osun State Governorship election.
APC spokesman, Yekini Nabena, in a statement on Monday, said the vote-buying template allegedly introduced by the PDP and “brazenly deployed” in the Osun inconclusive election was a threat to democracy.
He said while the PDP and its paid proxies were accusing other political parties of irregularities during Saturday’s inconclusive elections, the party was allegedly busy perpetuating its vote-buying scheme as exposed in several leaked videos showing PDP agents buying votes for its candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke particularly in Ede local councils of Osun State.
The statement added: “The PDP’s now public rigging method particularly vote-buying and dissemination of diversionary fake news must be checked particularly as we go into the INEC-ordered Osun governorship rerun.
“We also call on the electorate, civil society organisations and relevant stakeholders to speak out and resist the PDP’s retrogressive plans which threaten our democracy.
“Again, while the PDP attempts to misinform the public on the rationale for declaring the Osun Governorship election inconclusive, they should be reminded that in 2015, the late Abubakar Audu of Kogi State was leading by 240, 867 votes to PDP 199,514 votes, the margin of 41,353 favoured APC but it was declared inconclusive.
“IINEC ordered a rerun because 49,953 cancelled votes were higher than the 41,353 despite the fact that APC was leading with a wide margin. At the time PDP did not protest rather prepared and waited for the rerun date.
“The PDP cannot be supportive of decisions only when it seemingly favours them. There are electoral precedents, guidelines and laws which are binding on all.
“Finally, we reiterate our confidence that the Osun electorate will resist the PDP’s deployment to take over the state by force. The people’s will; the people’s vote is supreme. It must be respected and defended. That is democratic, progressive and the right thing.”
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