By Shina Abubakar Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has tasked members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State to join the Accord party, claiming victory is sure for him in the forthcoming governorship poll in the State.
The call followed waves of resignations that hit the APC in recent days, as more than five chieftains of the opposition resigned, including two former commissioners and two former lawmakers, among others.
Governor Adeleke, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Sunday, extended an invitation to the resigning chieftains to join his re-election bid for the development of the State.
“Our candidature is beyond party lines. Ours is a pan-Osun movement, a rainbow coalition, to ensure the final exit of the state from under-development. So, our doors are open to new members joining our party.
“I call on politicians and non-political stakeholders to join me in Accord ahead of August 15. It is better to abandon a sinking ship and join the light which my candidature represents”, he said.
Meanwhile,, the Governor assured the teeming populace in the State that they should not be deterred by scaremongering, saying the August 15 governorship election will be peaceful and that he will defeat his other contenders convincingly.
“According to the Governor, residents and voters are resolved to enforce free and fair elections within the ambit of the law, as well as through formal and informal structures, declaring that “No one, I repeat, no one can deny Osun people their legitimate rights to choose their leaders.
“We are the cradle of the Yoruba nation. We are the ancestral state of Mr President. No security or electoral official will dare attempt to set Osun state on fire. No federal official will contemplate rigging the forthcoming elections in Osun State.
“We will resist any move or ploy to tamper with the electoral process. We are closely monitoring all pre-election activities, and machinery has been put in place for both the election and post-election periods. We are not taking anything for granted”, the governor assures the public.
