The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against any attempt to rig the Ondo State Governorship Election, noting that manipulating the process will be an invitation to anarchy.
Chairman of the Publicity Sub-Committee of the PDP National Campaign Council for the Ondo State Governorship Election, Kola Ologbondiyan, said this at a press conference, in Abuja, on Sunday.
The PDP campaign urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to pressure from the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the All Progressive Congress to manipulate the process in favour of the incumbent.
Ologbondiyan said the PDP campaign had reviewed all prospects for the upcoming elections and had reached a conclusion that its candidate Eyitayo Jegede enjoys the greater support of the overwhelming majority of Ondo people.
This, he said is despite the recourse to violence, threats, hate comments as well as desperation by the APC and its candidate, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, to manipulate government institutions to work against the people and rig the election for them.
The PDP spokesperson said “Our campaign had earlier alerted of desperate moves by the APC to drag in certain officials of the Buhari Presidency as earlier boasted by Governor Akeredolu’s self-confessed thug, Isaac Kekemeke, who exposed that Governor Akeredolu plots to use violence and ‘federal might’ to muscle the election against the wishes and aspirations of the people of Ondo state.
“Such boasts coupled with Governor Akeredolu’s thoughtless threats and declaring Ondo citizens as his ‘enemies for life’ for reaching a consensus to replace him with Eyitayo Jegede, had if anything, spurred the people to vote him and his self-serving administration out of office.
“Our campaign, therefore, urges President Buhari to adopt the same Edo stance to ensure a free, fair and credible election in Ondo, without regard to partisan consideration, so that he can leave a legacy of electoral uprightness for which posterity and history can be kind to him.
“We make this demand because it is clear that the tide favours Eyitayo Jegede in this election and any attempt to manipulate the electoral process at any level will be a recipe for a breakdown of law and order, which Mr. President would not want at this critical time.”
