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…promised to get justice through legal channels
The Ogun state People’s Democratic Party have challenged the Saturday governorship election, saying the result was rigged in favor of the incumbent governor, declaring that the state is mourning the shameful process.
At a Press Conference held at the Park Inn earlier today, the State Chairman of the party, Alh. Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele, stressed that the Party, “will do everything possible to right the injustice and it shall never stand”.
Enumerating the reason for the planned legal battle, the Chairman who was represented by his Vice Chairman, KAYODE Bamgbose said the election was brazenly disrupted and rigged in favour of the incumbent governor Dapo Abiodun.
He said,” Saturday election was heavily characterized with unprecedented needless violence in several local government areas including Sagamu where 54 polling units were attacked by APC sponsored thugs, and ballot boxes and other sensitive election materials were carted away and burnt to ashes.
“The victory you all stood in line for, for hours enduring the rigorous process of voting and risking your lives for has been stolen from the following polling units which are “known strongholds of our party: Odogbolu LGA, Ikenne, Remo North, Ifo, Ogun waterside, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Ipokia, Ado Odo Ota, Ijebu East, Ijebu North East, Obafemi Owode and Ijebu Ode. A total of 14 local governments out of the 20”.
“The Returning Officer, Prof. Kayode Adebowale refused and purposely did not mention the total cancelled votes because he knew it was way over the winning margin multiple times, he hurriedly announced the result.”
He sighted a similar case,”In Kebbi state which was declared inconclusive this morning, similar issues happened and the unbias returning officer followed the dictate of law.
“We are hereby calling on the National Chairman of the INEC Professor Mahmud Yakubu to reverse this clear manipulation, injustice and rape of democracy by the returning officer in Ogun state by declaring the Ogun governorship election inconclusive and ordering a rerun in affected areas.
“We are also calling on the INEC Chairman to replace the state’s returning officer with someone of proven integrity and unbiased posture”.
In his remark, the PDP governorship candidate, Hon Oladipupo Adebutu stated that there’s a clear margin of about 100,000 votes that gave the win to PDP.
“We have found 10,000 votes in Sagamu, and 4,000 in Ogijo. By the time we take brush and dust the results, you will realize that the election was rigged massively.
“We keep on begging INEC to come out clean. This extra time, we shall play it. We should be steadfast and resolute.
“If it’s the will of God that we should pay the supreme price, no problems”, Hon Adebutu assured.
Labour Party Chairman, Comr Sogunle, added that from all indications, the victory was for PDP.
“Up to the last hour, we were leading in the scores. What they did is what we call state capture, but we will fight it and come out victorious”.