Don’t scandalise Osun electoral body, parties tell PDP

Opposition parties under the aegis of Alliance of Collaborating Political Parties (ACPP) in Osun State have described the call for removal of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Rufus Akeju by Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as an attempt to scandalise the electoral body in the state.
The parties in a statement, signed by their chairmen,  said that the call for the removal of Akeju by a group within PDP, Osun Liberation Movement (OLM) does not enjoy the support of majority of the registered political parties in the state saying that the claim cannot be substantiated.
It would be recalled that the group staged a protest, calling for Akeju’s removal during the stakeholders meeting held in Osogbo attended by the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega. At that meeting, Jega challenged the protesting party to provide evidence of their claims and allegation.
The ACPP including National Conscience Party (NCP), All Progressives Congress (APC), United Progressive Party (UPP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), African Democratic Congress (ADC), United Democratic Party (UDP), Africa Peoples’ Alliance (APA), Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Mega Progressive People Party (MPPP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Peoples for Democratic Change (PDC) condemned the protest against Akeju by PDP saying “the un-towards attitude of PDP is an attempt to scandalise the electoral body in the state.
While describing the agitation and allegation as baseless, the parties said the PDP is just an attention seeker, looking for an excuse for its impending failure in the governorship election coming in August 9, 2014.
According to the parties, “we wish to categorically state that these hirelings of the PDP do not represent the oppositions in the state and thus it is not correct as was reported that Osun Opposition rejects the REC.”
“The grouse of PDP against Akeju was his refusal to be manipulated in favour of any party, thereby ensuring that people’s vote count. For the sake of emphasis, elections were conducted in this state in 2011 to the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, and office of the President, the then CAN won all the 26 seats in the House of Assembly; all the three Senate seats and the nine House of Representatives with the CAN presidential winning in our dear state. The election then was peaceful free and fair without any itch.
“While other political parties are busy mobilising their supporters in the forthcoming election, the PDP is bent on creating a situation where it will be able to explain away its impending doom in the coming election as it is clear that the entire Osun people had rejected the party.

The ACPP therefore called on INEC not to be distracted by the allegation and claim of the PDP and rather concentrate on its sacred duty of ensuring free, fair and credible election where people’s vote will count as was witnessed in 2011.