Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Oyo State, Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin, has alleged that Governor Abiola Ajimoji and its governorship candidate, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu are collaborating with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and members of the State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
Lanlehin, in a statement signed by Lanre Ogundipe, who is the Director, Media, Publicity & Protocol, of his Handshake Campaign Organisation (HANCO), said that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in cahoots with some officials in the local government offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), have begun employing 70 members of the APC each as electoral officers in the 33 local government areas of Oyo State.
Oyo APC’s Frontal Attack on Free and Fair Election: So the public may know
Yet again, we, of the Handshake Campaign Organisation (HANCO), official handlers of the Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (SOLAN)’s governorship bid, wish to note the disingenuous moves being perpetrated by the Oyo APC, and as usual, like to notify the general public of the desperate moves of its governorship candidate, Bayo Adelabu, and their grand commander, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, particularly concerning the forthcoming 2019 governorship poll.
To start with, it has come to our notice that the Oyo State APC, in cahoots with some officials in the local government offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), have begun employing 70 members of the APC each as electoral officers in the 33 local government areas of Oyo State. This devious scheme was made possible, owing to the fact that INEC’s local government offices are often times, located in the premises of most local government headquarters. What we know, is that deploying APC loyalists in electoral management, particularly in their home local governments, is a recipe for electoral heist. We therefore call on INEC to investigate this anomaly, and weed out all APC loyalists already planted to do the bidding of their highly unpopular party. Not only must elections be free, fair and credible, it must be patently seen to be so.
Another corollary to that, and by no means less important, is that of the Oyo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alh Abideen Ejiogbe, who has decided to join the campaign train of the APC governorship candidate. Most times, he is even seen on the podium promising fire and brimstone, and castigating opposition candidates. Why we do not object to his support of whatever candidate that catches his fancy, we want him to realize that he leads a union comprising several individuals, who like him, also have democratic rights to support candidates of their choices, hence, he shouldn’t use his position to coerce members into doing his bidding.
Besides, we like to ask INEC, that knowing the very important role NURTW will play in the coming polls, especially in the movement of sensitive election materials, how will it ensure equity, probity and fairness, especially with such a blatantly political State Chairman at the helms of affairs?
As in our usual character, we like to remind the APC, that all its antics, underhand dealings and shenanigans, will end up in futility; as the good people of Oyo State, already fed up with its near 8-year misrule, have elected to vote it out, and vote in Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (SOLAN), the people’s recognized true friend. This desperate antics, are therefore, a mere waste of time and resources!
