Atiku commends Osun people for resisting ‘political banditry’ of APC

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has commended the people of Osun State for the election on Saturday to delivered governor Ademola Adeleke for a second term of office.

Atiku gave his commendation, saying the people of Osun resisted what he called ‘political banditry’ of the All Progressives Congress, APC, amid the unleashing of federal government machineries for the APC to force itself on the State.

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Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, the Spokesman for Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign organisation, Kenneth Okonkwo, said the salutary results of the Accord Party was a forerunner to what would happen in 2027 President election.

He said: “If you recall, Osun people were arrested, they were jailed, they were injured, they were killed. But they resisted. They did not succumb to all those banditry.

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“If you will recall again, Osun people, unfortunately, they unleashed the ministers against them, unleashed the governors against them, unleashed the legislators from the highest level of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives against them, unleashed all the apparatus of state against them.

“But yet, they did not buckle. They came out and defended their votes and came out with a salutary result, showing that the power of the people will always be greater than the people in power.

“Of course, according to Atiku Abubakar, this is a forerunner of what 2027 is going to be like. And he also said, another important lesson, that is the manifestation of how the resolve of the people to stand and defend their votes will always lead to an end to rigging, to vote buying and other electoral malpractice.

“Well, you know, that naturally, there is always this issue about elections. And then, wherever two parties are dominant, you will discover that it’s always very difficult for a third party or other parties to take over.

“Let us be realistic. In Osun state, you have the ruling party, which is the APC, and they have the federal might, which even the Osun state governor had to dance to survive their onslaught.”

Atiku said there was a threat to arrest a chieftain of the ADC in the State, Rauf Aregbesola as part of their onslaught against the opposition ADC in the State.

“Our own polling unit, you recall that before the election, Rauf Aregbesola, they threatened to arrest him. In the polling unit of our candidate, if you remember, they tear-gassed them, they chased them away. Polling unit, his own polling unit.
He had to come back to even contest election.”

While speaking on the performance of African Democratic Congress in the governorship election in Osun, Okonkwo expressed optimism that opposition work for Atiku in Osun State in the forthcoming presidential election, insisting that the outcome was a reflection of what will turn out in 2027.

“Remember, even before the election, the account of Osun state government was frozen. So then you can imagine all the other parties. So please, that is the forerunner of 2027. And all the opposition parties, you know, will work together for 2027 and deliver Atiku Abubakar as the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Our performance was very commendable because we didn’t have the state apparatus in the state, we didn’t have the federal government apparatus, and as you can see, the state government, through Honorable Salah, you can see all the things they passed through, even with the apparatus of state.

“Then you can imagine ADC that didn’t have any apparatus of state, whether state or federal. But at least we’re happy that the opposition has proved a point.”

Okonkwo said the opposition should not yet trust the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and relax, recalling that the former INEC Chairman conducted a free and fair election in 2022 and the opposition relaxed only for the presidential election in 2023 to be the worst.

“But let me make this important point very clearly. I am not congratulating INEC whatsoever for what happened in Osun state. Why am I saying that? Professor Mahmood organized a very good election in Osun state in 2022. And the opposition relaxed, and they thought that would be how 2023 election would be. And the 2023 election, he still went forward to glitch the election and deliver a very flawed election.

“So the opposition should not let down their guard. I am telling you, and I’m saying this with every sense of responsibility, the election of Osun state in 2026 is worse than the election of Osun state in 2022.

“If you recall, the Honorable Salah said, till 1 a.m. they continued attempting to subvert the election. By 8 p.m., they suspended the uploading of results on IReV. And nobody has come out to tell us why. And they must come out to tell us why. So there is still apprehension, and I’m telling you that the performance of INEC is not to be applauded. It is to be questioned. Why did they suspend the uploading of the results by 8 p.m. of Osun election?

“And then Osun people had to fight. They had to go to coalition centers. Do you know, in the build-up of the Osun election, more than 50 persons were killed. Not one person ought to be killed. More than 100 injured. Not one person ought to be injured.

“Of course, no politician’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. I am speaking as President Jonathan spoke. So we are not there yet, and the opposition should rather prepare, prepare very much. And you know why? Anytime APC loses the Osun election, they get into a panic mode, and they will now prepare all the arsenals to attack the opposition in the general election.

“Because that result is a manifestation of the complete loss of confidence in APC, the worst, and they will lose again in 2027. I know that you talked about the fact that even the ruling party in the state had to fight with their lives to be able to survive.

“So not to talk about the ADC. So the data is showing us that the ADC is not on ground as far as Osun is concerned in this election. Less than 5% of the vote when you compare it to the winner. So two questions in one. And this is a test case in the South West.

“The person you speak for actually won Osun state in the last presidential election. So I want you to just suppose that with this result and what you think the chances are. But on the other part, the flip side is, I think politicians, it’s important that they prepare for sabotage, they prepare for this onslaught.

The APC is not going to sit still. It will deploy anything and everything, sometimes legal or illegal where necessary, if we’re not careful because we have weak institutions. And this is what political parties do when they’re in charge.”

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