Barely 24 hours to the elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States, Publicity Secretary of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Yinka Oguntimehin, had denied the alleged invasion of Kogi State by members of the OPC.
The Peoples Democratic Party, through the Kogi State PDP Campaign Council, on Friday in a statement made available to the media by its Deputy Director, Public Communication, Austin Okai, alleged the invasion of Kogi State by members of the OPC to aid the alleged rigging plans of the All Progressives Congress in Saturday’s election.
Okai alleged that the OPC were brought from Ekiti State to cause mayhem during the election in Kogi State, saying the group, according to his findings, would be wearing fake military uniforms to stifle the opposition and ensure the victory of Governor Yahaya Bello.
But in swift reaction, Oguntimehin said PDP is raising a false alarm, insisting that the group cannot be used as a tool to truncate democratic process.
He said: “As elections in both Kogi and Bayelsa states are underway, politicians will always raise the alarm to buy sympathy and foment trouble through various antics.
“Part of their political antics is what is playing out now in Kogi. From the information reaching us, it is obvious that politicians have perfected their plans to outsmart themselves both in Kogi and Bayelsa states respectively.
“But let me say it for emphasis that no party can use OPC as tools or instruments of war. Nobody can use our group to cause trouble before, during or after elections.
“We are watching events as they unfold and we are deeply interested in free and fair elections in both Kogi and Bayelsa states. Citizens of the two states have a right to choose their leaders, it is their civic rights and responsibilities. Those parading themselves as OPC are fake members of the group, and whoever that flout the law should be made to face the wrath of the law. Let the rule of law takes its course. And on the other hand, PDP should not drag the name of our group into politics of Kogi state, the party should concentrate on the present job at hand and give peace a chance rather than raising a false alarm.”
Meanwhile, the Supervising Coordinator of OPC in Kogi State, Alhaji Wahab Isiaka, said the state is peaceful at the moment, adding that the people of the Kogi State are already preparing and ready to perform their civic rights.
“All is set for the election, and the people are really interested in exercising their Civic rights, so the alarm raised by the PDP were false and was intended to cause mayhem ahead of the polls,” Isiaka said.
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