Oyetola in Clear Lead as Aregbesola Laments Irregularities, Threatens Court Action
By Kabir Akintayo
Unofficial results from the Osun state All Progressives Congress primary election have showed that the incumbent, Gboyega Oytola, is in a comfortable lead.
According to results coming from the wards across the state, the governor is leading his two challengers – Moshood Adeoti and Yusuf Lasun – by a wide margin.
Oyetola also defeated Adeoti in the ward of his main supporter, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Meanwhile, the Minister has raised eyebrows over the manner in which the election was conducted.
The former Osun State governor said reports are being collected from members of his factions across the state.
After a careful study of the reports, the minister said legal action would be considered.
Aregbesola said this in a statement by his media adviser, Sola Fasure, titled, ‘Hold your heads high’.
Among the shortcomings identified by the minister included vote-buying, absence of result sheets, absence of INEC officials, and disenfranchisement.
He, however, urged the party members to remain peaceful, assuring them that the credibility of the election would be challenged.
The had been tension over the fierce battle for the sole ticket of the party between the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, and a former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti.;
Adeoti, a former state chairman of the party, is the anointed candidate of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Oyetola was the chief of staff to Aregbesola when the latter served as governor of the state for eight years.
However, the relationship between the governor and the minister has deteriorated to the extent that they now belong to different camps of the party in the state.
Aregbesola had vowed that the incumbent would not be allowed to serve another term.
Also in the race is a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf.
Fasure’s statement on behalf of the Minister read in full:
“On behalf of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, I will like to thank you most sincerely for heeding the call earlier this morning to participate in our party’s governorship primary and conduct yourselves most peacefully. You adopted a non-violent posture, even in the face of sore provocation.
You have demonstrated your loyalty to the party and democratic ideals. You have comported yourselves as Omoluabi in the true essence.
We have received and continue to receive the reports of the shenanigans of the officials who conducted the sham of an election. We have been inundated with reports state-wide of how your names were expunged from the party’s voters register, which was not made available until this morning, contrary to the convention of making the list available to the candidates before the election.
We have heard of how party registration cards were being hawked this morning to the supporters of the state governor.
We have also received reports of how accreditation was not done at all in many wards and how people without party identification just participated and queued behind the governor in many polling units.
We have received the report from our members and independent observers, how government officials and notable supporters of the governor officiated in the election, how votes were farcically counted in favour of the governor and how the votes recorded for him were more than the number of voters accredited ab initio in many units.
We have heard of the absence of result sheets and other vital documents for recording results and vital data. We note also the absence of INEC officials in most wards, casting serious doubt on the credibility of the election.
We note with shame and much regret the consternation of local and international observers on what they regard as a travesty of an election.
I will urge you to maintain your cool and calm. Be not downcast, be not agitated. Hold your head high. We are still receiving and studying all these reports and will take a definitive position on them.
You are urged not to take laws into your hands. Please leave the rest to the Almighty God and let us explore all peaceful and legal means for addressing the matter in order to obtain justice.
Please remain committed to peace and the rule of law. Be unflinching in your commitment to the democratic ideals. Democracy is for the long haul. As you all know, we never tire and we never give up on the cause we believe in. Be rest assured that victory is ours.”
