A Stalwart of the Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Peter Abidemi Olaoluwa has also joined Oyo APC to rejects the results of Saturday’s local government elections in the State and called for cancellation of the exercise.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Saturday evening, said the elections were characterized by fraud and irregularities.
Olaoluwa said the ruling PDP in the state calculated well and discovered that APC is coasting to victory in many of the council area and then came up with several anti-democratic practises which marred the successful conduct of the poll.
“The conduct of the election by Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) across the 33 local governments and 37 LCDAs is condemnable, irresponsible and unacceptable for height of irregularities and violence masterminded by the PDP due to the ruling party’s imminent loss to opposition APC in the process,” Mr. Olaoluwa said.
He alleged that PDP resorted to rigging, intimidation and threat because of the rejection of its candidates by the people across the state.
Mr. Olaoluwa said the action of the ruling PDP was “barbaric, primitive and ridiculous”, taken because “APC’s popularity scared them to resorting to violence which marred the entire process completely.”
He said election materials were not supplied in some local governments, such as Orelope, Afijio and that “ballots boxes, papers and other electoral logistics were not provided by OYSIEC’.
He further said going by video evidences at his disposal ballot boxes and papers were hijacked by miscreants in some local government areas, particularly in Ibadan.
He further alleged that there were sporadic shooting in some local councils, and that some APC members who resisted the hoodlums sustained injuries from gun shots and machete cuts in Ibarapa and Oke Ogun area of the state.
Mr. Olaoluwa said some of the injured party members were being treated at a private hospital in Eruwa.
“As a result (of the violence), many voters were scared and terrorized to leave their polling units”, he said.
“Definitely, with the aforementioned facts, it is obvious that the election exercise must be cancelled outrightly, if democratic values are anything to go by in Nigeria. And I therefore call for its cancellation”.
It will be recalled that Peter Abidemi Olaoluwa during the build up to the election donated cash and posters to candidates in Afijio local government.