Osagie Otabor, Akure
Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have petitioned Police Commissioner Salami Bolaji over claims by a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ifedayo Abegunde, that the 2016 governorship election was won by the Peoples Democratic Party, but rigged in favour of Akeredolu.
Abegunde spoke after he resigned from Akeredolu’s administration last month and pledged to support the aspiration of Chief Olusegun Abraham.
But he later recanted his statement to say that he meant that the people and not Akeredolu won the governorship election for the APC.
In the petition signed by counsel to Akeredolu and the Ondo APC, Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, they are asking the police commissioner to investigate and prosecute Abegunde over the electoral fraud claims.
They said the election results were never disputed by any of the candidates before the Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal, but they were shocked by Abegunde’s revelations.
Akeredolu and the APC said the allegation of manipulation was diametrically spurious, false, reckless, senseless and criminal.
They said electoral integrity was a very serious and sensitive issue in Nigeria, adding: “For any person to fraudulently procure the return of any other person to an elective office, whether directly or indirectly, is a criminal offence punishable with 12 months imprisonment, by virtue of Section 124(1) (a) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).”
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