The Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and Chairman of Pacesetter Transportation Service Company, Dare Adeleke have been alleged of preventing some delegates from participating at ongoing primary to elect candidate for Ibadan South East House of Assembly Constituency II, according to NaijaExaminer.
The party primary that is ongoing at the Saint John Primary School, Alake, Academy, Ibadan, the state capital on Sunday.
Some delegates while speaking with journalists alleged that Arapaja and Adeleke are moving around the venue of the primary with military men, were supposed to provide security for delegates, but shooting into air sporadically to intimidate their perceived opposition within the party.
One of the delegates, Sakirat sheu alleged that she was already on queue inside the school when Arapaja and Adeleke came in with soldiers and sending her and others out of the school.
According to her, “We are already on the queue when deputy national chairman, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and Dare Adeleke came, and force some of us out. The soldiers were shooting into the sky to scare us, we have no option than to go out, preventing us from performing our civic responsibility to the party.
“I am authentic delegate, my name is on the delegate list for Ibadan South East State House of Assembly Constituency II but because I am not in support of their aspirant, that’s why they chased us out.
“But how on earth, a national officer harassing ordinary members because of selfish interests, it is uncalled for. I want it to be on record that they want to impose a candidate on us but it will be challenged legally,” she said.
Also speaking another delegate, Alhaji Tiamiyu Abidikugu said he is a leader in the party and a delegate but to his surprise he was chased out of the venue by security officers on order of Arapaja.
According to him, “Despite the fact that I am a bona-fide delegate and a leader in Ibadan South East Local Government, I was also chased out of the venue like other delegates, prevented me from exercise my democratic process in our party.
“Our national officer and another government appointee, Arapaja and Adeleke respectively are the brain behind all the scenario. Those of us that were already inside were chased out while denying others entrance to the venue.
“If their aspirants are popular, why disrupting the primary, why are they afraiding free and fair primary.
“I am using this opportunity to implore Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene by calling Arapaja and Adeleke to order to stop further polarising the party”.
An attempt to reach Ambassador Arapaja and Adeleke for comment was unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.
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