The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State chapter, has raised the alarm over the alleged plan by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to cause security breaches in the state in order to intimidate opposition parties ahead of the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in the state.
According to the opposition party, Aiyedatiwa had hatched plans to use a faceless private security firm to intimidate politicians not in his camp in the buildup to the poll.
In a statement issued by Ayo Fadaka, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the candidate of the party, Agboola Ajayi, the PDP urged President Bola Tinubu to rein in the governor, stressing that it will not allow its silence to be taken for weakness.
He said: “We posit that the appointment of Global Olabod Resources for whatever purpose is sinister and criminally designed to compromise the election through ballot snatching and intimidation of voters. Therefore, we demand that the appointment of these mercenaries be rescinded forthwith, as their activities will very certainly generate an adequate response by the people.
“We reject any plan to engage Musiliu Akinsanya for any purpose in Ondo State; we note and seriously underscore that he is a harbinger of violence everywhere he goes. His roles in the last Osun State Governorship election are well documented; just as he was vanquished in that election, he will also be vanquished with consequences here if Aiyedatiwa decides to recruit him and his ragtag team for the purposes of rigging the election here.
“We abhor violence as a party, and we encourage the APC to be prepared to play by the rules, as failure to do just that will attract dire consequences. We may appear civil, but hereby warn that our civility is not an act of weakness.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Department of State Security, and Heads of other Security Agencies to take more interest in developments geared at causing security breaches in Ondo State as we move towards the election—a stitch in time, they say, saves nine.
“We also wish to alert Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa that he is duty-bound to use the humongous N1.2 billion security vote he collects monthly to protect the lives and properties of the people of Ondo State, not to use the same to insidiously murder and destroy us.
“We also put President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on alert that his Party members are getting set to cause a breach of peace here in Ondo State, and as Commander in Chief, he must warn and rein them in immediately. We underscore that a dislocation of tranquillity and orderliness in Ondo State will not only reverberate across the nation but have very deep consequences.
“The PDP in Ondo State is determined to win the next governorship election in Ondo State; we are prepared to leave no stone unturned in our quest to get victory, fair and square; we, therefore, urge our opponents to be prepared to play by the rules too; anything short of that is a direct invitation to anarchy. May God help us all.”
Reacting to the allegations, the Director, Media and Publicity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Steve Otaloro, described them as baseless, which he said were crafted to malign the governor.
He said: “The governor’s commitment to peace and security in Ondo State is unwavering, and we reject any insinuation that he plans to cause a security breach. Every action taken by the government on security is a legitimate effort to enhance security in the state, and we will not be swayed by the PDP’s mischievous interpretation.
“We also reject the PDP’s attempt to link Governor Aiyedatiwa to any act of violence or intimidation. His leadership has been marked by inclusivity, tolerance, and respect for all citizens.
“We urge the PDP to focus on issue-based campaigning rather than resorting to unfounded allegations and scaremongering. The people of Ondo State deserve better.”
