The Akeredolu Campaign Organisation on Monday alleged plans by the Labour Party to rig the forthcoming governorship elections in Ondo State.
The ACO alleged that the LP was planning to import over 100 AK 47 rifles, matchets, shortguns and other dangerous weapons.
A statement by the Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy of ACO, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, in Akure also alleged that the LP had threatened to dethrone any monarch who failed to support Governor Olusegun Mimiko for a second term in office.
Ajanaku said, “This is coming on the heels of threat letters to some Obas/Baales by Mr. Henry Akinsuroju of Ondo State House of Assembly that they would be dethroned if they allow their subjects to vote for the Action Congress of Nigeria.
“This is crude, wicked and undemocratic. The Constitution of Nigeria guarantees Nigerians and the people of Ondo State to freely vote for party and the candidate of their choice. And if they decided to vote ACN, so be it.”
But the Commissioner for Information in the state, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, advised the ACN not to heat up the polity with unfounded allegations and cheap blackmail and insisted that the LP, being a peace-loving party, would not need violence to win the election.
He said, “There has been peace all over Ondo State since the Labour Party government was installed in February 2009, and we had so far held four different elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission across the state.
“The LP does not believe in violence and that is why we constantly expose plans by the opposition parties, especially the ACN, to cause crisis with details of their plans, where they took the decision, and those involved in the plot.
“We challenge the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation to give details of their allegations and forward same to the police for necessary investigation, arrest and prosecution in case their claims are correct.”
Akinmade also noted that the ACO was scared of the facts and figures released by the LP on Sunday about the plans of the ACN to “import other tribes to cause violence as part of its calculated plots to capture Ondo State at all cost”, hence it came up with its allegation.
However, the ACO alleged that the Mimiko administration had started the training of thugs at different locations across the state.
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