Bribery, intimidation, ‘juju” threat rock Ogun APC primaries

 Bribery, intimidation, ‘juju” threat rock Ogun APC primaries

The Leadership of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun state   turned the party selection and primaries, billed to produce candidates for the party ahead of local government election  to ‘cash n carry’ .

Various reports revealed that many of the party leaders took advantage of the state  governor, Dapo Abiodun who gave them free hands to coordinate the emergence of the party candidates ahead of the local government election.

The governor, findings showed, was afraid of incurring the anger of the party leaders ,thus, entrusted them  with the party selection, election and/ or consensus candidates of the party for the local government election billed for July 24.

The party which had  received many leaders of other parties especially from the People’s Democratic Party is  battling with serious challenges of implosion .

The looming implosion , according to the findings was multifaceted and was seen as a potential setback  for the second term of the governor, if not properly managed .

Some  insider sources told PLATFORM TIMES that while the party leaders at the local government levels engaged in bribery taking ,intimidation and indiscriminate alteration of popular candidates lists , loyalists of some aspirants engaged in Juju threats and sponsored character assassination and media blackmail .

In Ogun Central which has six local government areas , candidates in Abeokuta South; Abeokuta-North; Ewekoro ,Odeda ,Ifo and Obafemi-Owode, the party leaders extorted aspirants running to millions of naira  .

For instance , in Abeokuta South , some party leaders were accused of collecting N10million from a candidate with a view to imposing him on the party .

Some of the  leaders in the premier council which has two  former   speakers, a Commissioner and a few others were  accused of extorting the aspirants with the  promise to handover the ticket to them .

Loyalists of one of the aspirants who was not favoured with the arrangement  said the race had been turned to highest bidders .

The spokesperson  said ” every place was bastardized and the issue of money and  business is all what is carrying the day. Everywhere now, the leaders are saying they (contestants) should go and sit down.

“There are  no parameters set aside in chosen a person other than the consideration of highest bidder .

“These  issues of money, money, money  because in a local government that we have about 15 wards for example how will you say that you will pick the candidate from the same ward where the  present transmission Chairman come from ,that is never done  anywhere.”

He asked the governor to Wade into the situation to avoid escalation of the crisis.

 

In Abeokuta North , the two leading aspirants  who had rubbed the palms of the leaders in the council could not make it due  to the heap of  allegations received by  the governor against them

While one of the two leading aspirants was enmeshed  in place of origin  scandal ,the other was accused of being another ‘hushpuppy’ the allegation ,the governor instantly distanced self from .

The governor and the party leaders reportedly settled for a relative neutral person after the two aspirants had been soiled by scandals .

In Ewekoro , it was the same tune as two leading aspirants engaged in blackmail and horse trading .

The party leaders were said to have settled for two persons ,leaving the governor to choose from them . But, the blackmail ,intimidation and other attacks have rocked the selection .

In Odeda ,Ifo, and Obafemi-Owode ,the case was a bit  different without acrimony and little  extortion .

In Obafemi-Owode it was relatively peaceful . In  Odeda there were little skirmishes but, Ifo seems to have some issues which were compounded with the interest of the speaker of the state House of Assembly , Hon.Kunle Oluomo.

Some party leaders were said not  to be in the same page with the speaker ,but, was later addressed and settled .

In Ogun East , Naira reigned supreme as each  aspirant  paid from N10m to  N20m to get the party ticket for the post chairman.

One of the aspirants  for local government chairmanship ,Wale Adedayo took to his Facebook page and lamented the process that led to the selection of three persons for the seat .

Adedayo alleged that an aspirant spent N20 million for the party leaders to get his way .

He said “But as I told a friend yesterday, far be it from me to share N500,000 per person to those picked to vote. It is not about integrity.

” It is about our downtrodden people. Equipment for an Hairdresser costs N76,000.

” I’ll be very proud to assist five Hairdressers with such money. And, to say almost N20m was spent not just among those who voted, but also for their minions and not the ordinary people, we should be proud of who we are and what we have done.”

In Ikenne and other council’s in the axis , same story was narrated by the aspirants , alleging bribery taking and corruption.

… 22 Political parties call for Osibodu-led OGSIEC removal

No fewer than 22 political parties have called for the immediate dissolution of Bar. Babatunde Osibodu-led Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) for not allowing their parties to take part in the forthcoming local government elections.

The 22 political parties accused OGSIEC of excluding them from participating in the forthcoming Local Government election in the state.

The 22 political parties allegedly excluded include; Advanced Congress of Democratics (ACD), Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), All Blending Party( ABP), All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP), Alliance Social Democrats (ASD), Change Advocacy Party (CAP), Democratic People’s Congress (DPC), and Green Party of Nigeria (GPN).

Others are Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN), New Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP), Nigeria For Democracy (NFD), People Coalition Party (PCP), Progressive People Alliance (PPA), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Young Democratic Party (YDP), Re-Build Nigeria Party (RBNP), Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), United Democratic Party (UDP), United Patriots (UP) and We the People  of Nigeria (WTPN).

Speaking at a press conference held on Thursday, the convener of the 22 Political parties, Otunba Soluade Olufemi  advised OGSIEC to be guided with the court of appeal judgement in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/507/2020 wherein the Independent National  Electoral Commission (INEC) was mandated by the court of Appeal to relist their parties as duly registered Political parties in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that INEC on 11th June 2020 deregistered 92 Political parties by the federal high court in Abuja.

But, the 22 Political Parties had in a petition written by their counsel, Olusoji Oduntan and addressed to the OGSIEC chairman, Babatunde Osibodu alleged that the electoral body excluded the 22 political parties by not contacting or informing them on the arrangement made for the forthcoming poll in the state.

Oduntan noted that the action of the OGSIEC is an infringement on the constitutional right of the 22 political parties.

He stressed that the alleged exclusion by the electoral body is against the electoral act.

Olufemi while speaking at the press briefing noted that the parties have served the OGSIEC chairman twice with a letter through their lawyer where the copy of the judgment in Abuja was appealed against, but rather than following the rule of law, Osibodu choose to close his eyes against it.

Olufemi also accused the APC chairman, Mr Yemi Sanusi to disenfranchised their parties against the yet to be determined judgment at the Supreme Court.

He called for the dissolution of OGSIEC as it has concluded plans of excluding them from the forthcoming local government elections.