‘Seun Ibukun-Oni, Ado-Ekiti

Daily Courier – The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Engr Segun Oni has vowed to resist the ongoing kidnap of SDP stalwarts hours before the election on trump up charges.

Oni stated this at a press briefing today Friday, June 17, 2022 at the SDP campaign office in Ado Ekiti.

He promised to submit to the general Abubakar peace accord signed two days ago in Ado Ekiti but vowed to reply appropriately should anyone put their resolve to test.

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“Peace would be peace, absolute if it is standing on justice and equity; fairness and truth. A situation where you go to people’s houses to kidnap them as it is happening now. Some people believe they have authority over the people renders every peace document invalid. So, let us tell them not to set this state on fire. A team that has been going round to kidnap people and arrest them, some of them are in there custody now while some people escaped and are in hiding. That team must be called to order now. Because they are testing the patience and tolerance of the people.

“We are going to keep watching because we don’t want to give any senseless orders to our people to say resist them at all costs. If they resist them at all costs, it will lead to lost of lives but we can not also say, obey them at all costs because these are illegal orders” Oni said.

He condemned the illegal abduction of one Kayode who was kept among kidnappers to robe as a kidnapper. Oni reiterated that even those who are not friends of the party are infuriated by the unprovoked attacks on the party and her stalwarts across the state. “This country belongs to all of us, and we have to call out and tell the CSO to the governor that he should not allow himself to be used to set this country on fire” he added.

He further alerted the election umpire INEC, security agencies, election observers, the international observers and all other stakeholders on the need to adhere strictly to the electoral laws and stipulated guidelines for free, fair and transparent polls.

The SDP candidate urged that all forms EC8A must be stamped and counter-signed by the relevant electoral officers, not their representatives, as well as the party agents. He said, “any form not stamped and signed is not considered authentic and will not be accepted.”

Other demands by Oni include: INEC must use only the selected and trained staff; results at polling unit must be uploaded by the polling officer to the BVAS immediately after voting is concluded in the presence of all party agents.

“Let me make this clear; any political party or candidate that attempts to tamper with those guidelines is certainly not a friend of democracy and peace in Ekiti and Nigeria” Oni concluded.

Ekiti governorship election will hold tomorrow across the 16 local governments, with 16 political parties fielding candidates.