The Ademola Adeleke’s Campaign Organisation has alerted the general public of an alleged plot by agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Osun State Government to compromise corps members deployed to the state for the Saturday governorship election.
The organisation claimed that the sum of N10,000 has been paid into the bank accounts of almost 8,000 corps members deployed for the elections.
This allegation was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity for the Campaign Organisation, Olawale Rasheed, and made available to newsmen, yesterday.
The statement added, “We have it on good authority that the disbursement was done a day after those of security agents also on election duty in Osun State. The payments said to be the first installment is designed to compromise the service personnel who will serve in various capacities during the elections.
“We use this opportunity to alert parents of corps members posted to Osun to prevail on their wards not to fall for APC trap. We also remind corps members that their safety and commitment to democracy should supersede any monetary consideration. Anybody assisting slave holders to rig this election is an open enemy of the people of Osun State.
“The National Youth Service Corps is a patriotic service organisation and her members should not be part of any evil design to thwart the will of the people. Any corps member who surrenders himself to the service of anti-people manipulation and falsification of election process will have the angry people of Osun State to contend with.
“We call on the director general of the NYSC and the state director to urgently look into this matter. Corps members are being compromised. Let the service management act proactively to maintain the integrity of the service and to protect corps members from political backlash.”
Meanwhile, the embattled senator Ademola Adeleke and the Peoples Democratic Party aspirant in the forthcoming Osun election, yesterday, said that he would dance to the government house after winning the Saturday’s election.
Speaking in Osogbo at an interactive session organised by the Oduduwa Youth Development Initiative, Adeleke opined, “I will dance to the Government House after winning Osun governorship election on Saturday.
“I have been tagged dancing Senator, but this shouldn’t be used against me because everybody dances. Have you seen someone who doesn’t dance? I am winning this election and I will dance to the Government House after that.
“When I was in the university overseas, I used to go for dancing competition. Although, I am a Nigerian, I still won dancing competitions which is the reason why I was nicknamed ‘Jackson,’ but my real name is Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke.”
But criticizing Rauf Aregbesola’s educational policy, Adeleke said, “Anybody who fails to pay his or her labourers is wicked and I can boldly say that the APC government is wicked for not paying its workers and pensioners in the state.
“The menace of non-payment of salary is responsible for the 29th position of this state in the ranking of WAEC; but when I get to power, I will turn it around by ensuring that the welfare of every worker in the state is catered for”.
However, ahead of the Saturday’s governorship election in Osun, security has been beefed up around the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office along Gbongan/Ibadan Road, Osogbo.
Heavy security presence was also noticed at the entrance of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), a few kilometres away from INEC office, yesterday.
It was learnt that two armoured personnel carriers were stationed at the entrance of INEC office.
Both mobile and regular policemen were also stationed at strategic locations around the INEC office.
The road leading to CBN office was manned by men of Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU).
One of the security personnel, who spoke with newsmen on condition of anonymity, said since the sensitive materials for the election had arrived CBN, there was the need for more security around the bank.
There was heavy police patrol around in Osogbo, the state capital, with armoured personnel carriers stationed at strategic places.
It would be recalled that the Inspector General of Police, Mr Idris Ibrahim, had last Monday at a stakeholder forum, said 18,426 police had been deployed to Osun for the election.
Meanwhile, some residents in the state have appealed to political stakeholders to allow peace to reign before, during and after the election.
Howefver, a High Court sitting in Osun State has issued an order restraining the police from arresting the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Osun state governorship election, Ademola Adeleke.
Adeleke had approached a High Court in Ejigbo, Osun State after the Police accused him of engaging in examination malpractice and summoned him.
President Muhammadu Buhari last Wednesday stopped the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, from inviting the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the governorship election slated for Saturday in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The police had earlier invited Adeleke to the Force Headquarters in Abuja for the purpose of arraigning him on charges of examination malpractices, criminal conspiracy, impersonation, breach of duty and aiding and abetting.
A presidential source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, told some State House correspondents that the President had directed that Adeleke should not be invited until after Saturday’s election.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, had in a statement told Adeleke and four others to report to the Special Investigation Panel, Force Headquarters, Abuja, immediately for arraignment in court.
The residents said that since the election was not a do-or-die affair, the politicians should play by the rule of the game.
A civil servant, Mr Ola Ayanwale, appealed to political parties, their candidates and supporters to allow peace to reign.
Ayanwale said since the aim of every politician is to serve; there was no need for them to be desperate.
Another resident, Mrs Dupe Ibiwoye, appealed to politicians not to allow their personal ambition to destroy the future of the state.
“I appeal to them to allow peace to reign in this state. They should not see the election as a do-or-die”, Ibiwoye said.