LP, PDP accuse each other of plans to rig

The Ondo State chapter of the Labour Party on Sunday raised the alarm that the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party planned to use military personnel and the police to rig the election.

The LP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Femi Okunjemiruwa, alleged that “the plot by the PDP was in continuation of its 2007 election rigging game.”

But the PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Ayodele Fadaka, alleged that the LP planned to used the police to implicate and prosecute some PDP politicians.

The PDP also alleged that the LP had trained some thugs who will wear PDP vests to cause violence and cart ballot boxes from the polling units.

The PDP accused the state government of procuring new Hillux buses and distributing them to all the local councils for the purpose of snatching ballot boxes.

However, the LP alleged that the PDP had already deployed over 20 soldiers in the Southern Senatorial District to help win the elections.

Part of the PDP statement, however read, “They (LP) have armed their thugs and plans to adorn them with PDP uniforms with which they will attack many communities thereby creating the impression that it is our party that is attacking people and not them.

“This plan is designed to achieve a dual purpose, one is to terrorise the populace with a view to make them abscond from voting and again to discredit our party as being belligerent but merciful enough.

“The good people of Ondo State have taken due notice of their belligerence since the beginning of this electoral session and particularly the fact that apart from scores that have been wounded, they have put in place a ballot snatching gang that is motorised to move across the state to hijack ballot boxes from the polling booths and falsify the results before it gets to the collation centre.

“It is because of this plan that the government purchased those Hilux vans that were tagged ‘security project’ and distributed to all local governments.”