The Unedited Press Statement.
RE: COMPLAINT OF ILLEGAL RELEASE OF OVER 150 BALLOT PAPER TO GOVERNOR MAKINDE FOR BALLOT STUFFING AT SOUTH-WEST CONGRESS
Our attention has been drawn to a spurious and baseless Petition circulating in the Social media purportedly signed by Mr. Sikirulai Ogundele, the Ogun State Chairman on behalf of Chairmen of Ogun, Lagos, Osun and Ekiti States.
The petition alleged that “over 150 (One hundred and fifty) ballot papers for the election of National Vice Chairman and Zonal Secretary have been released to a group illegally by a Staff of the Directorate of Organization and Mobilization intended for ballot stuffing”. The petition also claimed that “the hatched job of stuffing the ballot boxes with these illegally released ballot papers is to be supervised and achieved by a ‘certain Senator Anyanwu’”.
Ordinarily, there would have been no need to comment on the misleading letter since the allegations are false and malicious, but, in this age of Social media, it is important to save the unsuspecting public from falling prey to the antics of the author, in the name of politics.
It is on record that under our watch, our Party has consistently conducted some of the best primary elections. The last Presidential Primary election of October 2018 was accorded the status of the most transparent and best primary election of any Political Party in the history of our Country. Ekiti (2018), Osun (2018), Kogi (2019), Bayelsa (2019), Ondo (2020) Governorship Primary Elections were unquestionably free, fair, transparent and credible.
In keeping with the mandate of the National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure free, fair and transparent South West Zonal Congress:
I wish to implore every member of our Party, the Delegates and Stakeholders across the Country to discountenance this unnecessary, irresponsible, reckless and false publication. The NWC will continue to ensure free, fair, credible and transparent primaries in line with its oath of office.
Col Austin Akobundu (rtd).
National Organizing Secretary