The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday accused the Police as well as top officers of other security agencies of allegedly aiding Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and the All Progressives Congress over the pockets of violence recorded in some parts of the state during campaign rallies.
According to the PDP in a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari where it appealed to the President to help put a stop to the violence, the party said the ploy was to intimidate voters ahead of the October 10 governorship poll.
In the open letter addressed to the President and signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, also accused the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, of colluding with Akeredolu to cause mayhem in the state.
Pereti alleged that top security officers had given free access to political thugs to maim and kill the people of Ondo State to achieve a desired political objective.
The letter partly read “We believe that there is complicity involving even the Inspector General of Police and some service chiefs.
“Anywhere Akeredolu goes to campaign, about five or six buses loaded with political thugs, wielding guns, accompany him. Only on Tuesday, September 22, these thugs unleashed violence on the people during Akeredolu’s campaign in Idanre.
The party emphasised that all the petitions written in relation to the violence unleashed on the people of Ondo State by suspected APC political thugs were ignored by the security chiefs.
PDP further alleged that following Akeredolu’s invitation to the DG, DSS in Abuja over the violence recorded at a campaign in Ondo State, Fayemi led him to the DSS boss and other service chiefs, with the objective to soften the ground for him to continue his reign of terror in Ondo State.
Meanwhile, the APC has stated that it has no reason to support violence as it described the allegation as uncoordinated blackmail.
According to the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Alex Kalejaye “The APC has it on good authority that the unannounced alliance between the PDP and the Zenith Labour Party is geared towards attacking each other and blaming the ruling party.”
Meanwhile, the Apex Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections in the forthcoming Ondo Governorship poll and other bye-elections in the south-west.
Mr Yinka Odumakin, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.
Odumakin, speaking on the group’s expectations from INEC in the forthcoming Ondo election and bye-elections in the geopolitical zone, said that only credible polls would deepen Nigeria’s democracy.
He noted that INEC must improve on its assessment record with the forthcoming elections.
“INEC should do its job well and ensure free and fair polls. INEC should improve its Curriculum Vitae (CV) with the forthcoming elections.
“I want to see INEC be able to conduct elections that all parties will be satisfied with and give them kudos over,” Odumakin said.
Odumakin also urged INEC to give a level playing ground to all candidates across the states to reposition the electoral system in the nation.
