DAILY COURIER – Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Wednesday, accused the ruling All Progressive Congress of sabotaging efforts of opposition parties to participate in the November 16 Local Government Election state.
The main opposition party also blamed APC for instituting court cases challenging membership of candidates sponsored by the party when the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) was not complaining.
Daily Courier recalls that Governor Dapo Abiodun through his Special Adviser on Media, Kayode Akinmade, mocked political parties in the state that they are unpopular and have gone on holiday insisting that APC remain the party to beat in the forthcoming council poll.
But, speaking at a press conference held at the PDP Secretariat, Abeokuta, the state capital, the Chairman of PDP in Ogun State, Abayomi Tella, revealed plans by the APC to frustrate any attempt by opposition parties, especially PDP, to participate in Saturday’s LG election.
Tella cited instances of court cases challenging PDP LG membership and the disruption of his party’s Congress, as well as the presentation of parallel candidate lists to OGSIEC, which he said failed woefully.
“Why institute a case about the membership of candidates sponsored by the party when OGSIEC is not complaining?
“It has become very necessary that we react and inform the public of the many deliberate and desperate attempts by the State Government and the ruling Party to silence and prevent opposition parties, particularly our party, PDP from participating in the Saturday, November 16 Local Government elections in Ogun State”, he noted.
The chairman also alleged that the judge in charge of the court case used to be a card-carrying member of APC and was a former caretaker chairman of Ikenne local government.
He said, “We want to state emphatically that we believe strongly in the rule of law and have due respect for our judiciary; therefore, we are expecting true justice even though, we are not unaware that the Judge assigned with the case used to be a card-carrying member of the Ruling party- APC, A former Caretaker Chairman of Ikenne Local Government.
“We only need to enumerate the political profile of the judge not because we are doubting his integrity, but we are using this as advice that if he cannot recuse himself from this case, he should deliver true justice which will be in line with the rule of law.
“In as much as we cannot pre-empt the court; it is important that we inform the public on the various tactics and actions going on in the background particularly when the ruling party has seen the acceptability of our candidates across the 20 Local governments of the state”. he added.
Tella opined that the PDP was committed to the rule of law and its expectation of true justice while calling on the people of Ogun State to support the PDP’s candidates and urged the State Electoral Commission to ensure a free and fair election.
