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Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo 

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has accused the Osun State chapter of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) of threatening to rig the state’s forthcoming governorship election, stressing that the attempts by the state APC to retract its several open threats to rig the election were an afterthought.

Reacting to recent statements credited to the state APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, on the August 15 polls, the governor called the volte-face “a deceitful utterance designed to mask the failed, dark agenda to tamper with people’s will.”

According to him, Osun people were not deceived by the pledge of the APC chieftains to support free and fair elections, noting that “the APC candidate and his supporters must apologise for their several posts and open threats to forcefully take over the Osun government irrespective of the people’s will on August 15.

“The Osun APC campaign operatives have issued several warnings and social media posts to use federal might to override popular votes. What changed that Mr. Oyebamiji suddenly embraced free and fair elections? Why was the minister also echoing similar lines? 

“Members of the public take their assurances with a pinch of salt. The threats to free and fair polls persist. The Osun APC’s determination to secure power through the back door remains its main, hidden strategy. Attempting to paper over previous open threats is unacceptable. 

“Osun APC must recommit itself to democratic ethos by abandoning its evil plot to disable Accord as a party;  by stopping its agenda against my candidacy; by abandoning its deliberate financial strangulation of Osun grassroots; by apologising to thousands of Osun people who bear the brunt of its anti-people conduct; and by allowing federal agencies to operate impartially in Osun State”, the governor was quoted as saying.

While calling for eternal vigilance among all lovers of democracy, Adeleke commended the emergence of ward-based anti-rigging squads, adding that Osun voters were demonstrating unwavering readiness to resist electoral robbery come August 15.

He said the people were ready to combat technical and manual manipulations during the electoral process, affirming that “it is too late in the day for the Osun APC to whitewash its declared intention against the electoral will of the Osun people.

“My team and I are committed to mobilisation for a free and fair contest in which the votes of the people must count at all costs. As a man of the people, I am committed to peaceful contests, free from violence and electoral banditry.

“I strongly believe that I have the backing of the overwhelming majority of Osun people at home and abroad to continue to pursue my innovative agenda, which has repositioned the state as a model within the comity of nations. I am elated that the people have vowed to harshly treat electoral bandits before, during, and after the governorship elections,” the governor was quoted as saying.