Osun REC won’t conduct gov poll –Omisore

Senator Iyiola Omisore

 The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic   Party in Osun  State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has said that the PDP will not allow the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, to conduct the August 9 governorship election.

Omisore said this in Ile Ife on Wednesday during the visit of political officers from the United States Consulate General to his residence.

He alleged that the REC was a former employee of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and would not be fair to other candidates who were contesting against the interest of his former boss.

He said that a court had ruled that Akeju was not fit to conduct elections in the state but said the appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission against the ruling was shocking to him.

He said, “The REC, Akeju was an employee of Bola Tinubu. He even represented Tinubu on two occasions at different events. The evidence was tendered at the court. The court ruled that he should not conduct election in the state and (Prof. Attahiru) Jega appealed against it. People are asking what is the interest    of Jega in appealing the verdict?

“Elections are about perception and judges excuse themselves from cases whenever they are accused of bias. We won’t allow Akeju to conduct the election because we know that  he is biased already.”

Omisore stated that he and other PDP leaders as well as other political parties in the state would continue to clamour for his removal in order to have a credible poll.

The Head, Political and Economic Section of the US Consulate General, Lagos, Mr. Rolf Olson, urged politicians in the country to play the game by the rule.

Olson also urged contestants to shun violence, saying peace was one of the criteria for a credible election.

Meanwhile, the brother of the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Mr. Sunday Laoye, on Wednesday led some members of the APC to defect to the PDP.

Laoye, who was Chairman of Osun State Sports Council during the regime of Chief Bisi Akande, said he left the ruling party due to the deceit of its leaders.

Laoye was received into the PDP by the National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, Omisore, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, and the state Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, at a ceremony held at the party secretariat.

However, the Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy of the APC in the state, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said that the party wished Laoye good luck in his new political party.

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