Tension In Osun As Security Allegedly Side APC, Arrest PDP Man Over PVC Allegation

There was tension in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, yesterday as members of the PDP and supporters of the APC clashed over an alleged plot by the PDP to buy up Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of Thursday’s governorship election rerun in four council areas.

The security are holding a PDP stalwart, Fatai Oyedele, popularly known as Diekola. He was said to have led some leaders of his party to Ward 5, Unit 17 in Alekuwodo to buy up cards, but the PDP said he was canvassing for votes.

An eyewitness said, agents and leaders of the APC and the PDP were in the area to woo would-be voters, adding that there was a misunderstanding that led to a clash.

The incident could not be confirmed from the Police as the cell phone of the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Command, Folashade Odoro, was switched off.

But APC Spokesman Kunle Oyatomi denied that the party’s supporters were involved in any clash. Oyedele was caught in possession of 62 PVCs, he claimed.

Oyatomi said: “There was nothing like thugs attacking anybody. That is absolute nonsense. We don’t have thugs. He was caught with PVCs and the Civil Defence officials arrested him.”

The Director, Media and Publicity, PDP's Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Mr. Olawale Rasheed, said that not only was Oyedele attacked by the “APC thugs, also scores of supporters of the PDP in the areas where the rerun election will be held on Thursday were attacked”.

Rasheed called on security agents to forestall further attempts to attack the PDP leaders and supporters to stop the party from winning Thursday’s rerun.

The PDP and the APC are the top contenders in the election.

The APC candidate Gboyega Oyetola has said the arrest of the PDP chieftain has confirmed the general opinion that PDP was out to subvert the will of the people.

The Oyetola Campaign Organisation, in a statement in Osogbo, alleged that the PDP chieftain and two other officials led thugs to the controversial polling unit in Ward 5 Osogbo, an action that led to the cancellation of the election in the ward. The result, it said, was rejected due to the difference between the result and the card reader’s record.

PDP spokesman Diran Odeyemi denied that Diekola collected voter cards. He said the PDP chief had gone to the area to seek votes for the party’s candidate when thugs descended on him.

“Let the police show proof that he was arrested with the cards”, he said, adding that the action was to intimidate PDP supporters.

culled from Olu famous Mr Olumide's Blog