BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Osun State chapter of Accord has said it uncovered plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party to massively engage in vote buying in the July 16 governorship election.
Besides, the party accused both parties of engaging in buying and stockpiling of voters cards, going by the information at its disposal.
According to a statement signed on Sunday by Stephen Owolabi, one of the media aides to the party’s governorship candidate, Akin Ogunbiyi and made available to The Point, these actions will plunge the state into serious crisis.
“The recent arrest of agents of one of the political parties and INEC officials in Ijesaland over voter’s cards’ buying was a pointer to our concern.
“Majority of the electorates are yet to get their voter’s cards despite seeing their names in the register and nobody, not even INEC has any information on when the cards will be ready for collection. Who knows maybe the cards have been bought over by these desperate politicians,” the statement read.
“Again, we have it on good authority that the essence of the large number of the Campaign Committees by both APC and PDP was to raise enough funds for vote buying.
“For instance, as we are writing this statement, Governor Ortom of Benue State has sent five delegates fully funded to come to the state to buy over indigenes of his state residing in Osun to vote for a particular candidate.
“As it is now, many agents of both the PDP and APC are moving around the wards and units inducing electorates with money while promising them more money on the election day.
“We are not afraid because our candidate is more acceptable to Osun people than any of them. But we need to speak out because we are sure with these moves, they will plunge Osun into a serious crisis,” it added.
