Akinwale Aboluwade
Three aspirants jostling for the ticket to run for the House of Representatives seat in Ibadan South East/North East Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the 2023 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have accused the leadership of the party in the state of intimidating and forcing them from contesting in the primary slated to hold at the Goodwill Hall, Adekunle Orita Aperin, Ibadan, on Sunday.
According to the three aspirants vying for the ticket to run for the National Assembly seat, namely, Deji Aboderin, Dr Kazeem Adesina Olasupo and Niyi Aborisade; Abass A. Adigun, a.k.a Agboworin, member, House of Representatives for Ibadan North East/South East Federal constituency, in collaboration with some leaders of the party in the state, forced them to quit the venue of the primary.
This, the trio said, would be challenged in court.
Aboderin said that what was seen on Sunday at the venue of the scheduled primary showed that the PDP government in Oyo State is a failure.
He stated that “We are going to challenge what happened today because there was no primary. What transpired at the venue of the primary showed that the PDP government in Oyo State is not about people but about cliques. “Honourable Agboworin came with personnel of the Armed Forces, thugs and the Deputy National Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja.
“Honourable Dare Adeleke was seated, Ambassador Arapaja was also there. These are the people who want to rule us in 2023. The thugs said that I should leave the venue and if I failed to leave, they would shoot me down.
“There was no primary in Oyo State. If they just write names, and the national body of the party in Abuja approves it, it would be disappointing. Immediately they came in, people were shooting. The thugs came, they wanted to attack us. They were armed with guns, knives and charm.”
Olasupo said, “There was no primary election in Ibadan North East and South East Federal Constituency today (Sunday). Although they might come up with a winner but as you can see, there was no primary. The atmosphere was not conducive and it was really discouraging and sad. This is not democracy.”
Insisting that democracy is allowing the people to choose their own representatives, he said, “However, as you can see today, there is a lot of tension in the atmosphere. One of the national leaders of the party was moving around with soldiers and thugs to intimidate aspirants and delegates so as to arrive at predetermined result. This is not going to be the end of it. We are going to do the needful.”
Aborisade said, “There was no (primary) election today; the three of us who are contesting for the party’s ticket were there. There was no enabling environment. The leadership has failed us totally by not providing us with enabling environment where free and fair election could hold.
“We were chased out by the likes of Ambassador Arapaja, Akeem Ige, Dare Adeleke, and co and thugs. We should be allowed to exercise our civic right. It costs more than N3million to get the form. We were not approached on what to do. We were not told to step down for Agboworin. They were just using might as if might was right. The governor (Seyi Makinde) as the Chief Security Officer failed to provide us security for free and fair primary. We were sent out by the thugs of Arapaja and his co-travellers.
“We were not allowed to exercise our franchise. It is a big shame that things are happening like this under the governor who we think should do better.
“This is not what the Electoral Act stipulates should be done. If there would be consensus, all of us had to sign. There was no signature. Nothing took place, so I don’t know how they could just raise his (Agboworin’s) hands (as the winner). He was not validly elected and this would be challenged in the law court.”
