Why there must be heavy security for Osun election —Professor Oladipo

Why there must be heavy security for Osun election —Professor Oladipo

Professor Wale Oladipo,  the national Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) restates the commitment of the party to reclaim the South-West region, debunks the rumour that the Presidency is funding the party’s campaign, among other issues, in an interview with newsmen. JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI brings excerpts:

The attack in Ile Ife, Osun State, has further heightened tension in the state ahead  the August governorship election. As a citizen of that state, what is your reaction to the incident?

I want to condemn in its entirety, the spate of violence that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have taken to Ile-Ife in the past few days. I am calling on the security agencies- the police, the Civil Defence and other agencies- to quickly wade in and arrest those who are maiming people. Ife is known for peace and we will continue to preach peace. However, we will not allow people, particularly the APC who are pained from their inglorious performance in Ekiti. Having seen the kind of support our candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is enjoying, they are jittery. 

They are trying to do everything to ensure that the election doesn’t hold. They know that what befell them in Ekiti is about to befall them again in Osun State. I am using this opportunity to appeal to security agents to quickly come in and make arrest of the identified leaders who really led the onslaught on the peace-loving people of Ife. I make bold to say come August 9, Senator Omisore of the PDP will convincingly defeat Aregbesola. We believe in one man one vote, one youth one vote and such can only be realised in a peaceful environment. 

APC is a super minority in Ife because Omisore is from Ife. I am from Ife and we know the political colouration of Ile-Ife. Go and find out, every governor that has won a clean election in that state usually got at least 30 per cent of his votes from Ife. The APC is conscious of this and they have been rejected by Ife people. So, they want to create a scenario that is similar to how Aregbesola came in through the back door. You will recollect that the entire votes of Ile-Ife were cancelled by the Court of Appeal for Aregbesola to have majority of votes. I think they are trying to replay the same scenario by creating a problem in Ife so that there will be no voting in Ife.

There are claims from the APC that the replacement of the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Rufus Akeju is to pave way for the PDP to win the governorship election in the state. How will you react to this?

A court of competent jurisdiction had questioned the neutrality of Akeju and yet the APC people were just defending him. Why must they be particular about a Resident Electoral Commissioner conducting election? Does it mean they have a deal with him? Do they have an arrangement with Akeju? Akeju himself is not complaining and so why is Lai Mohammed complaining? 

The credibility of an election depends on the neutrality of the electoral umpire. It was obvious that Akeju could not be neutral. They want him to conduct the  coming election? No, INEC has done the right thing and I don’t think the APC is questioning the neutrality and integrity of the new man, Mr Segun Agbaje, who was brought to Osun to conduct the polls. Why should they cry? Or do they have something to hide. 

As for us, we want a clean, free and fair election in Osun and with every sense of responsibility, I am confident that the PDP will win hands down.  People are tired of all these imported politicians. The economy of Osun is now comatose. I have small businesses in Osun myself that are no longer thriving because all services are outsourced from Lagos; all contractors are from Lagos. That is what Ekiti people have rejected and that is what the good people of Osun are going to reject come August 9. 

Others say your candidate, Omisore,is afraid of his own past. How is this going to impact on his campaigns?

You will recall that Aregbesola once said immediately PDP presents Omisore, he would go and sleep. Why is he now having sleepless nights? Why is he now in need of sleeping pills, when we have done what he asked us to do? Why is it that he is agitated? Why is he jittery? 

Omisore is on ground and he knows the terrain of Osun. He has been visiting village to village, ward to ward. If he is visiting a village, only people from that village are allowed to meet with him. We don’t rent crowd; we don’t need area boys from under the bridge in Lagos before we campaign in Osun. 

When we produced Ayodele Fayose, you will recall that Governor Kayode Fayemi started shouting that why should the PDP put up Fayose. You know the result. It is going to be the same sort of result in Osun. I am telling you confidently because we know the terrain. Fayose is the governor-elect of Ekiti and I am assuring you by the special grace of God that Omisore will be the governor-elect of Osun State, preparatory to the battle in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos State next year. And by the special grace of God, for the presidential election, I am convinced the PDP candidate will also win.

The scuffle between you and former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola appears to have favoured you lately following your endorsement by the South-West caucus of the PDP to fill in the slot of national secretary zoned to the region. What are you doing to accommodate all?

We are talking. Oyinlola is my big brother. Luckily, I am a prince and he is also a prince. So, I am sure he will not do anything to jeopardise the chances of the PDP. On the issue of national secretary, I am aware that the matter is still before a court of competent jurisdiction and so I should not comment on it.  

However, I thank the South-West leaders for the confidence they have reposed in me and I promise them I will not betray that trust. Luckily under my watch,we have won Ekiti and by the grace of God, we will win Osun and the South-West will give solid votes that will ensure that the transformation agenda of Mr President continues beyond 2015.

The PDP has been lampooned for snatching victory in Ekiti election through the militarisation of the state and fears are being expressed that the same will play out in Osun. What is your take on this?

What they tagged militarisation of elections, of course, was done to thwart the antics of those who wanted to use violence to win the election. It is these same people who will always complain about the presence of security agents. But if you have absolutely nothing to do with violence, in fact, the law says soldiers cannot stay in the polling unit and they were not there. They were just in other areas to stop people from moving weapons, illicit money and thugs across borders. Why are they concerned? 

They used the judiciary in the past to take away states and they want to use violence this time, thinking that the Federal Government will just fold its arms. The number one duty of a responsible government is to provide security and that is what this government is doing.  The same level of security was provided in Anambra State and we lost there and in Ondo State as well. The problem with the APC is that, if they win, the election is clean, there is no problem. But when they lose, they start talking all kinds of things.