A political pressure group, Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD), has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is plotting to disrupt the August 8 governorship election in Osun State through violence and other unlawful activities aimed at forcing an inconclusive poll.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Director of Operations and Public Affairs, Adeyefa Adeyemo, the group claimed it obtained leaked political intelligence from defecting APC members detailing plans to unleash violence before, during and after the election.
ODD alleged that the purported plan involves the importation and settlement of hoodlums from neighbouring Kogi State into strategic towns across Osun, particularly areas considered strongholds of the ruling Accord party. The group listed Osogbo, Ede, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Ikirun, Iwo and Ila-Orangun among the targeted locations.
According to the group, the alleged strategy was adopted after an internal APC field survey reportedly showed the party was unlikely to defeat the incumbent government, with projections indicating a possible loss by a wide margin.
The press statement from the group reads further: “We are using this medium to alert the general public and security agencies of vital strategic information at our disposal. The APC has concluded plans to create mayhem in Osun state after its field study revealed it cannot beat the incumbent of the Accord. Informants from the APC provided details of this plan and we have opted to release it to the public.
“The APC had conducted a field survey and the outcome was not favourable. Its survey results showed the party will lose to the Accord by over 70 percent of the votes.The survey is said to have accounted for what our sources called a plan B which involved making sure that the election will be inconclusive. To get an inconclusive election, the APC has mapped out the following plans which are already under implementation.
“As we issue this statement, hoodlums from Kogi state are being imported into Osun state. The APC is settling them in key areas with a high voting population and with sympathy for the incumbent. Some of the marked towns include Osogbo, Ede, Ile Ife, Ilesa, Ikirun, Iwo, Ila Orangun and other centers. We all read of a recent statement by a group called Kogi indefensible residents in Osun who purportedly endorsed the APC candidate for the August polls.
“Further parts of the plot include banditry infiltration of Osun state through the Ondo and Kwara axis. The recent incident at Ora is cited as testing ground with the source hinting that hundreds of bandits are already in Osun state hibernating ahead of the election period.
“We were told that the goal is to create mayhem on the day of election in the central and eastern senatorial district while premeditated violence will be unleashed on Ede and Iwo. Areas known to be pro- APC will be spared.
“Aside from violent scheming, the APC is also said to be planning to hack the electoral machines from INEC. A team of hackers are said to be working with the state APC with coordination at a control centre in Abuja. It is not clear there is link within INEC for these anti-democratic plans.
“To achieve all the above, the plan expects partial collaboration from the security agencies. They are to turn blind eyes when the violent agenda unfolds. These are snippets we have from these APC informants”, the statement noted.
The group therefore called on the state government to ensure the activation of the Amotekun security service because part of the APC plot is to ensure that Amotekun remained out of service until after the election in August.
“We charge Mr Governor to ensure that Amotekun is back in service because there is no legal ground for shutting down the service in the first place. The APC waded into the matter because of its long term plan to secure freezing for its hoodlums and bandits across the state.
“We also call on security agencies to nip in the bud these evil plans. The votes of our people must count. Hoodlums and bandits should not be allowed to truncate the will of Osun state people.
“We also task Osun people and residents to resist any attempt to upturn their electoral choices. Our people must launch out into electoral activism. We must defend our rights to vote and be voted for”, the statement concluded.
