ACN accuses FG of planning to rig general elections

The Action Congress of Nigeria has accused the Federal Government of planning to rig the forthcoming general elections in the South-West. Addressing a news conference in Osogbo, on Thursday, the acting Chairman, Osun ACN, Mr Adebiyi Adelowo, accused the Federal Government of tacitly supporting the Osun Peoples Democratic Party in unleashing terror in the state. He said, “The deployment of soldiers at the PDP rallies in Osun cannot occur without the covert support of the Presidency.” Recalling the killings of the Osun ACN members during April 14, 2007 governorship general election, Adelowo explained that “the Osun PDP is out again with its do-or-die political philosophy popularised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The PDP captured the South-West in 2003 through Obasanjo’s do-or-die philosophy. “We know the ultimate goal of the PDP; it is to capture the south-west again. They have begun the macabre machination in Osun, where they have unleashed violence in Igbajo, Eripa, Aagba, Oriade/Obokun, Ede, Ara and Otan-Ayegbaju. Specifically, the ruling party accused the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore, of terrorising members of the public with soldiers when campaigning. Adelowo also accused a former Governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, of sponsoring violence during his campaigns. The ACN also accused the supporters of the first civilian Governor of Osun, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, of unleashing terror on the ACN members while campaigning in Osun-West senatorial district. But in a telephone interview with our correspondent, Omisore denied the allegation, saying there was no single incidence of violence during his campaigns. Omisore said, “The ACN is a party of confused people. It is unfortunate that these are the type of people leading the state. “I don’t want to exchange words with them because they are not worthy to be dignified with a reply.” Calls to the phone number of the Chief Press Secretary to Oyinlola, Mr Lasisi Olagunju, did not go through as he had switched off his phone. Adeleke also described the allegation of the ACN as a tissue of lies that could not withstand truth. The Director of Publicity, Osun PDP, Mr Adeolu Adeyemo, also denied the claims by the ACN. He said, “Members of the ACN are the ones terrorising the people of Osun State because they are in power.” By Tunde Odesola, Osogbo Courtesy of: Punch