Oyo: Intrigues precede elections

Posted by admin Elections 2011, NNP Elections 2011 Updates, Oyo, State News Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Political activities reached an unprecedented climax in Oyo State on Monday ahead of the governorship election billed for Tuesday (today).

Leaders of the leading political parties in the state: the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Accord Party went into high-powered closed-door sessions for last minute fine-tuning of strategies.

The residences of the candidates in the election: Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Senator Rashidi Ladoja also became busy resorts as leaders of the parties fell over one another to gain their candidates’ attention.

The various meetings aimed at perfecting their plans to win the election that has been described as “mother of all elections” are expected to last late into the night.

The “election fever” and the downpour experienced in most parts of the state capital combined to deny the Easter Monday its usual fun.

Discussions inside motor parks, taxis and many other public places centred on the elections.

One unique thing about the elections is that the leaders of the leading political parties have been mounting surveillance on one another, thereby checkmating suspected untoward moves.

For instance, information spread on Monday that the ruling party was distributing ballot papers to some of its members with the aim of taking them to Oke-Ogun area of the state.

The ballot papers, the unconfirmed sources claimed, were distributed in the Agodi Government House.

But the party’s Secretary, Alhaji Bashir Akanbi, promptly debunked the rumour, saying it was the handiwork of mischief makers. He said the rumour had been spreading even before the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission distributed the electoral materials.

The PDP itself had earlier raised the alarm over an alleged “unusual movement” of INEC materials and vehicles in the Bashorun and Ikolaba areas of the state. The spokesman of the Akala/Arapaja Campaign Organisation, Mr. Morohunkola Thomas, had claimed that the affected parts of Ibadan were areas where some financiers of the ACN were based.

He also alleged that the ACN had procured Hilux pick-up vans with INEC incription with the aim of rigging the election.

But the spokesman of the ACN in the state, Mr. Matthew Oyedokun, debunked the claim, saying that “it is what they are doing that they are accusing us of doing in order to distract attention. They are pots calling kettle black.”

In all, the governorship election in the state promises keen contest.

There are however apprehension among stakeholders that the exercise might turn bloody in some flashpoints, especially in areas known to be the strongholds of the candidates.

But security fears have been allayed by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Saliu Hashimu, who assured residents of the state of their security during the elections.

He said the state police command was enjoying the support of sister security agencies in the state in that regards.wp_posts