The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in last Saturday’s Governorship Election, Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, has said the arrest of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Alhaji Fatai Deikola, has confirmed the general opinion that PDP is out to pervert the will of the people in the ongoing governorship contest.
Diekola was arrested on Monday in Ward 5 Alekuwodo, Osogbo in possession of hundreds of Permanent Voter cards already procured through purchase, brutal force and secret oath-taking.
Also, as a form of retaliation after his arrest, Deikola’s sponsored thugs invaded Alekuwodo area, shooting sporadically to scare people and cause tension in the state capital.
Oyetola Campaign Organization, in a statement in Osogbo, the state capital, on Monday recalled that it was the same PDP Chieftain alongside the PDP State Chairman, Soji Adagunodo, and Ibukun Fadipe who led thugs to the controversial polling unit in Ward 5 Osogbo to disrupt the election, leading to the cancelation of the election by forcing APC agents to sign election results at gun point until it was rejected as result of the irreconcilable differences between the result and card-reader record.
The statement read: “We are vindicated today that the security agents finally nabbed one of the PDP vote-buying and selling dealer, Fatai Diekola, who has been the harrow head of procurement and commoditization of Permanent Voters Card (PVC). We had complained to security agents about the violent posture of the PDP and the way they were monetizing votes before and during last Saturday, September 22 election.
“Despite the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Rauf Aregbesola to the conduct of peaceful elections and to ensure that the Osun poll is devoid of any violence, the same set of people arrested have been attacking APC members in Osogbo, the state capital, and openly distributing money even on the eve of election.
“ To worsen the issue on Saturday night, Diekola, Adagunodo and others invaded a Collation Centre in Ward 5 Osogbo and forced APC and other party agents to sign a doctored result which was later rejected at the local government collation center. This singular action substantially contributed to rendering the election inconclusive and now requiring INEC, security agents and political parties to deploy fresh resources for the new election.
“To us, the APC government, as acknowledged by local and international observers, has provided a level-playing ground for free, fair and transparent election in Osun State. We must not allow the will of the people to be subverted.”
“ As a candidate in this election, we wish to state clearly that the arrest of Diekola is one out of PDP numerous agents and dealers purchasing voter cards in all the affected units of Ife South, Ife North, Orolu and Osogbo local government areas of the state.”
“While commending the police for the arrest of these agents of destabilisation, we urge them and other security agents to be on the alert to prevent individuals who are hell bent on subverting the will of the people. We demand that the police must investigate this case thoroughly and prosecute any individual connected to the crime no matter how highly-placed they may be in the society.
“This election is about the future of the state and as such the will of the majority must be protected. The popular choice of the people must be allowed to evolve. That is the very essence of democracy.”
