BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Ademola Adeleke campaign organisation has decried the arrest of several leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun state ahead of the scheduled Thursday supplementary elections.
The Osun PDP said there is a subsisting and active threats to democracy in the state and Nigeria, adding that after the Independent National Electoral Commission’s unprecedented coup against democracy, agents of slave drivers and the APC have continued their unholy plot to derail the will of the people.
In a statement, the Ademola Adeleke organisation called the attention of the public and lovers of democracy to the crackdown on PDP leaders specifically at Osogbo, Ile Ife and Orolu in what it described as “preparation for the grand plot to rig” the supplementary polls.
The statement which was signed by the Director, Media and Publicity of the organisation, Mr. Olawole Rasheed, said several leaders of the PDP have been arrested while party supporters are at the mercy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) thugs.
Rasheed said on Tuesday morning, members of the PDP were matcheted around Alekuwodo, Osogbo while gunshots were heard booming all over the town.
He specifically said that at Osogbo, a top leader of the PDP, Alhaji Fatal Diekola was arrested, rough handled and beaten up despite his ill health while his aides were matcheted.
The organisation spokesman also said that other PDP leaders in Osogbo are being harrassed with many of them unable to sleep in their respective houses.
In his words; “At Orolu, the situation is the same as APC thugs struck this morning, beating up PDP leaders. A Meeting of PDP leaders was stormed by hooded thugs from the APC with violence unleashed on innocent party members reviewing the recent polls.
“The APC in a grand plot to steal the mandate of the people had also been threatening voters in the seven units slated for Thursday polls.
“In several cases reported to our situation room this morning, some voters were offered Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000) in return for their PVC details. Refusal of such offer is followed with threat of action.
“We also learnt that the cloning of PVC is ongoing at the Government House, Osogbo. We were told the PVCs of the affected areas have been tampered with through INEC database. All these are been done to manipulate the supplementary polls.
“We therefore call the attention of the public, local and international election observers to the continuation of electoral impunity and denial of fundamental human rights to PDP leaders in Osun state.
“Osun people are resisting and they will continue to do so until their governor-elect is confirmed. We report to the public and the world that Osun PDP leaders are under siege,” Rasheed stressed.
