My state, Osun, is now in that season when some politicians cast aside whatever is left of their threadbare integrity. The Osun Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, recently alleged that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, Ambassador Oloruntoyin Akeju, was an out-and-out member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He claimed, that the REC was Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s lackey and to that end would be unfit to conduct the August 9 governorship election. Since he emerged as the governorship candidate of his party in questionable circumstances, Omisore has been propagating falsities against his main opponent, Aregbesola, and the state REC. But he has not been able to substantiate his assertions.
Virtually all the major newspapers of Monday June 16 reported the Osun PDP candidate as saying that the 20 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) bought by the Osun State Government to improve security in the state are to be used by Aregbesola to intimidate the electorate during the election. In the twisted logic of this former Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriation, the fact that those security apparatuses are yet to be formally handed over to the police is enough reason to conclude that they are meant to be used to instigate violence, intimidate opponents, and fill eligible voters with trepidation.
Yet, when in April last year Governor Aregbesola handed over five APCs and about 120 patrol vans to the police so as to enhance security, Omisore did not insinuate violence to scare off suitable voters in the election year that is 2014. Now that further steps are being taken to shore up security in the state as promised, the PDP flag bearer is unduly depressed and making baseless claims. Would he have preferred that no improvement is made on the vital business of protecting life and property in Osun? Since Aregbesola took office, it is evident that security has improved in Osun and the tide of armed robbery has subsided considerably.
As the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security explained recently on the state TV station, the newly purchased APCs are to be positioned strategically in the state to deter criminals and track fleeing inter-state bandits, more so that the armoured vehicles have cameras, guns and other special devices mounted on them.
What is Omisore afraid of? Is it that his boys would be deterred by the APC on election day? Is APC anti-crime hardware synonymous with APC as a political party and the scourge of PDP?
As always, this Omisore’s claim is groundless. In my view, it is crying wolf where there is absolutely none. The people of Osun must be wary of politicians who specialise in making unjustifiable affirmations.
Paul Adebayo,
Ikire, Osun State.
