PDP, APC Bicker over Ekiti Governorship Poll

• Main opposition party alleges plan to close Akure airport

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Ahead of the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have accused each other of plans to rig the election.

The main opposition party has also accused the APC-led federal government of planning to shut down the Akure airport in Ondo State on Thursday (today) to stop top party members from attending a campaign rally scheduled to hold in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, who addressed journalists wednesday, alleged that the move to shut down the airport is part of the diabolic plot by the APC to stall the PDP rally.

He stated that all is set for the PDP mega rally but added that information at the party’s disposal indicates that the federal government is planning to use the excuse that they are carrying out repairs to shut down the airport against PDP members.

Ologbondiyan however said that despite APC’s “shenanigans”, PDP is sure of victory at the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti state.

“ We are very sure that we will defeat the APC again in all the 16 Local Government Areas just like we did in the last election, “ he said.

The PDP Spokesman also urged INEC to ensure that the election is free and fair and that there is a level playing ground.

Also, while receiving a delegation of the Forum of Serving PDP Local Government Chairmen yesterday in his office in Abuja, the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, warned the federal government and the APC not to manipulate the Ekiti State governorship election.

“Don’t rig Ekiti governorship election; there will be crisis. There may be no 2019 elections if you rig Ekiti election, “ he warned.
On its part, APC has asked the PDP and Governor Ayo Fayose to be ready for defeat at the governorship election, insisting that it would ensure that any plot to rig the election by the PDP would be frustrated.

National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, urged Fayose and PDP to be ready to accept defeat at the end of the election.
Oshiomhole stated this shortly after the Chairman of the party’s Ekiti Election Committee and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Abubakar Bagudu, briefed members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, about the preparedness of the party ahead of the Ekiti governorship election.

The national chairman who declared that the party was fully ready for the election, added that “We are very impressed with the amount of work that governor Bagudu has done with other members of the campaign council.

“I have fought PDP in Edo State, just relying on mobilisation and persuasion and we know how to win. We will fall back on those conventions, tools of winning election and because they are not in that group, they cannot start learning new trick. So, Ekiti is as good as won,” he said.

“We have a candidate who is not new to governance, he has a track record. And we also know that in the last election, which brought Ayo Fayose to office, how it was rigged.

“Money collected from NNPC; the military officers, who were used; the young officer who participated in the misuse of the armed forces, his confessions. All those manipulating tools will not be used this time around. So Fayose and his candidate will have to learn and prove they were never familiar with rigging. They have to convince the electorate,” he said.