SUNRISE – The Allied People’s Movement (APM) on Sunday, in Ogun State, rejected the collation process for the results of the governorship and State House of Assembly elections conducted in the state.
The party alleged that the process was “hijacked and compromised.”
The outcome of the election according to the APM did not reflect the wishes of the people of Ogun State, as freely expressed on Saturday, March 9, 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Briefing reporters at the party’s Secretariat on Abiola Way, Abeokuta, where the party announced the rejection of the results as released by the Independent National Commission (INEC), the Director – General of APM Campaign Organisation, Chief Sarafa Tunji – Ishola, said it was with “great concern for the future of democracy” in Nigeria and the “future of Ogun State” that he addressed Ogun people.
Tunji – Ishola noted that Ogun people trooped out in large numbers to exercise their right to choose the governor of the state and members of the State House of Assembly but lamented that the process was disrupted by hoodlums and results falsified to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former Minister cited Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Ifo, Obafemi/Owode and the nine local governments in Ogun East Senatorial district as areas where the exercise was allegedly disrupted and resulted doctored in favour of the APC.
He said: “The exercise which started on a peaceful note was disrupted as the counting of votes were being completed by hoodlums and unidentified uniformed men who hijacked the process and went ahead to collate falsified results sheets in many local council areas including Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Ifo, Obafemi/Owode and particularly all the local government areas in all parts of the Ogun East Senatorial District.
“In local government areas like Sagamu, Odogbolu and Ogun Waterside that were won by the APM, the results were changed to deny our party its well-deserved victory.
“In other local governments won by the APC, the figures were altered to increase the margin between the APC and the APM.
“The disruptions were clearly designed to ensure that the APM does not meet the required constitutional requirement of 25 percent of votes in the council areas of Ogun East Senatorial District and to suppress the electoral strength of the APM in Ogun Central Senatorial District where the party clearly enjoys superior strength.
“In the night, some armed men purportedly working for a top Federal Government official from Ogun State went round many of the local government areas, hijacked result sheets and forced party agents to sign already-filled result sheets under duress.
“These infractions are against the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria and the electoral act. The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) made a formal protest on these infractions to the Resident Electoral Commission of INEC in Ogun State as reports from our agents across the state revealed these atrocities.
“We requested that INEC should investigate these infractions and suspend the announcement of the purported results of the elections pending the completion of such investigation. We were surprised that the INEC went ahead this morning to announce the disputed results from many of the local government areas.
“I hereby, on behalf of the APM, formally reject the collation process that was hijacked and compromised because it did not reflect the wishes of the people of Ogun State as freely expressed in 09 March 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
“The APM wishes to put INEC on notice that we shall explore every means within the provisions of the constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to challenge this miscarriage of justice.
“We shall also ensure that the wishes of the people of Ogun State as freely expressed at the polls are protected.”