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Over 2,000 APC members petition against Ogun East senatorial result Sequel to an earlier petition over the result of Ogun East Senatorial District primaries of the All Progressives Congress, another set of over 2,000 people have kicked against the result, citing imposition and irregularities. In a letter written to the party secretariat, titled: PETITION AGAINST OGUN EAST SENATORIAL PRIMARIES, the signatories alleged that the APC primaries held on December 8 at the Ijebu-Ode Stadium was rigged in favour of a particular aspirant. The contest was between Otunba Seyi Oduntan and Prince Dapo Abiodun. According to the petitioners: “The process was extremely shambolic and fraught with irregularities that was unprecedented in the conduct of primaries conducted by the party at the Local Government, State and National levels. “We witnessed a complete hijacking of the process by a full complement of State and government officials, including Commissioners, Executive Chairmen of Local Governments Party Chairmen, and Government Liaison officers and other Government appointees who performed acts that are dangerous to the peace and development of our party at all levels and which have the potential of damaging our election chances at the forthcoming elections. “Witnesses with video and photographic evidence of the crude use of raw government power and institutions to manipulate the primary in favour of Prince Dapo Abiodun, have come forward to demand justice and we are listening to them.” They petitioners also gave vivid accounts and reports of government officials involved in the alleged fraud. They explained that government officials forced delegates to write Dapo Abiodun’s name on ballot papers and threatened to remove the executive members from their wards and local government offices. They also alleged coercion and beating up of members who refused to cooperate. They said: “Several Executive and Party Chairmen were witnessed collecting booklets of ballot papers and writing Prince Dapo Abiodun’s name and then stuffing the ballot boxes with them “Some delegates were threatened with guns if they did not cooperate. “All Government officials were shouting that they were acting on ‘orders from above’ “Having witnessed all of these, our agents walked out of the venue in disgust and refused to sign the so called ‘results’ in protest. “Clearly, the contest was designed towards a predetermined outcome in favour of Prince Dapo Abiodun by Government officials and we find this unacceptable to us. “Over 1000 of our members converged on Otunba Oluseyi Oduntan’s house immediately after the fraudulent primary. “Although he addressed us and asked us to remain calm, we resolved that we will not accept the result of the government teleguided primaries to favour Mr Dapo Abiodun. “All our 6000 registered members will therefore distance ourselves from his campaign activities in Nine Local Governments of Ogun East Senatorial District because we believe that a very unpopular candidate has been imposed on us with impunity and we are fearful that this will affect our chances for victory in the coming general elections. “All our 6000 registered members feel disenfranchised and will therefore distance ourselves from his campaign activities in Nine Local Governments of Ogun East Senatorial District because we believe that a very unpopular candidate has been imposed on us with impunity and we are fearful that this will affect our chances for victory in the coming general elections. “This great party belongs to all of us and we will not allow it to be decimated by a chosen few. We sincerely urge our leaders to intervene urgently to avoid a catastrophic seismic movement before its too late. “We have collected over 2000 signatures of party members across the 9 Local Governments of the Ogun East Senatorial district in support of this petition. They are hereby attached. We therefore hope it will attract the appropriate seriousness that it deserves, in the interest of the party “We thank you for your kind consideration as an elder and the leader of our party, in anticipation of a speedy resolution of this simmering crisis.”

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They petitioners also gave vivid accounts and reports of government officials involved in the alleged fraud