THE last may not have been heard about the outcome of the August 9 governorship election in Osun as the Omisore Youth Solidarity Forum (OYSF) and Iyiola Omisore Organisation (IOO), on Wednesday, in Osogbo ,alleged that the poll was fraught with massive rigging and irregularities by the All Progressives sCongress (APC).

Describing the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who polled 394,684 to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer in the exercise, Senator Iyiola Omisore, as a daylight robbery, the groups expressed optimism that the “election tribunal and court of superior and competent jurisdiction shall do justice” to retrieve the stolen mandate of the PDP.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the director of IOO, Ife/Ijesa Senatorial District, Rotimi John Adeyenuwo, asserted that “going through the reports of our members across the three Senatorial Districts of the state, one could see clear incidence of electoral fraud characterised by thuggery, intimidation of the PDP party agents and supporters, voting by underaged, coupled with ballot stuffing and extension of voting till 8.00pm in Ejigbo Local Government”.

While alleging that “further probe into the activities of the APC indicated that the election was highly rigged with the collusion of extraneous agents within and outside the state”, he recalled that “in Ila Local Government, the original result after collation, revealed that the PDP won in nine wards against 2 wards of the APC, but the result was later declared in favour of the APC in ratio 10:1”.

Reacting to the development, the APC’s director of publicity, research and strategy in Osun, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, affirmed that if the PDP and IOO had any genuine evidence over the rigging of the last governorship election, they should present it to the election tribunal rather than dissipating energy on needless press conference.

He maintained that “It is not worth the bother to exchange words on the last election with the Omisore’s gang. They wanted Ambassador Rufus Akeju out as Osun REC, because they thought if he presided over the election process, he would rig it for the APC. So, against INEC’s own wish, they sacrificed the poor man so that the PDP could win”.

“Now in spite of that and many other horrific things done by the Federal Government to help the PDP,, they lost. The next step should be sorted out at the election tribunal and whatever evidence they have should be presented there, and not at a press conference,” Oyatomi asserted.

But, Adeyenuwo argued that, “in Ilesa East, Ifofin Ward 8 to be precise, the polling booth of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the PDP agent, who maintained uncompromising stance not to allow perpetration of rigging at the centre was chased away by thugs in the convoy of the governor”, querying that “how can we say election is credible, free and fair in this bizarre circumstances”.

“Seeking legal redress after election is part of electoral process which we are confident of winning due to avalanche of evidence at our disposal to tilt the preponderance of scale of justice to our candidate’s side”, he remarked.

http://tribune.com.ng/news/news-headlines/item/13925-osun-we-ll-retrieve-our-stolen-mandate-groups-present-your-case-before-tribunal-apc

Is this true? But PDP rigged with Jona!