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The Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN) in Oyo state, has renewed its call for the
redeployment of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ayo Adakeja,
insisting that his presence as the eye of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) would rubbish the resolve to have a free,
fair and credible election.

Former Oyo state
governor and leader of the party, Lam Adesina, made the call for an
umpteenth time in Ibadan on Sunday while addressing newsmen during a
protest over the National Assembly elections that was suspended midway
last Saturday. The protest, which was planned to be staged at the INEC
office on Sunday, was held at the party’s state secretariat at Yemetu,
Ibadan.

Wasiu Olatunbosun,
Oyo ACN secretary, said the change in venue was informed by the
decision of party elders and consideration of its security implications.

Appraising the
botched poll, Mr.Adesina also noted that if the nation really desires
to have a crisis-free polls, it must prevail on the chairman of the
INEC, Attahiru Jega, to use manual register to complement the shortfall
of names of eligible voters left out in the digital register presented
at the polling booths for the election.

According to him,
besides late arrival of materials and non-appearance in some polling
stations, there were huge inadequate security provision in many areas
of the state. He said the state’s REC has compromised his office and
cannot be trusted to be an unbiased umpire for elections in Oyo state.

The former governor
was worried that many eligible voters whose names were confirmed to be
on the register during the commission’s voters’ register display could
not find their names again when they came for accreditation and voting
on Saturday, fearing that it could be a ploy by the ruling party to
reduce the number of voters in areas where they are not popular. To
prevent rowdy situations at the polling booths, he advised that the
manual register be brought to allow the registered voters exercise
their rights unhindered.

Party infiltration

Lamenting the
logistical lapses that led to the suspension of the election, Mr.
Adesina alleged that some of the INEC officials used are card-carrying
members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asking, “where is equity
, where is fair play?”. “What we are witnessing today is a
reincarnation of what happened in 1965. But, we are not going to allow
any election result to be announced .We are ready to pay the supreme
price to save democracy and Oyo State,” he said. “This Akala man has
done nothing for our people. From the result of the votes counted
yesterday (Saturday), it is obvious the people want a change. They are
for ACN. And the people need to be liberated. We don’t need the police
or the military, we are battle ready to protect our votes. It is like
we are in a war situation now”.

Mr. Adesina said
although in spite of the party’s protest to the INEC chairman, Mr
Adakeja still remains in Oyo, if equity and fair play would be ensured
in the state, the REC must be redeployed immediately. Apart from the
huge crowd of party members and supporters, the rally had in attendance
ACN leaders including Iyiola Oladikun, former deputy governor of the
state; Abiola Ajimobi, ACN governorship candidate and Akin Oke, state
party chairman of the party.