Nigeria Content Online

Opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday said it has uncovered
plan by the ruling Labour Party in the state to constitute a panel to
probe the immediate past governor of the state, Olusegun Agagu.

The PDP also
accused the LP of planning to investigate other political office
holders who served at the local government level during the immediate
past regime.

Addressing
reporters in Akure yesterday, the chairman of the party, Omotayo Dairo,
said the probe panel was being engineered to witch hunt Mr. Agagu, who
is the senatorial candidate of the party in Ondo south senatorial
district.

Mr. Dairo, who said
his party was surprised that the probe panel was coming close to the
election, said it was also targeted to keep two other candidates who
had served as chairmen of local governments out of the race.

Other members of
the PDP targeted by the panel, according to Mr. Dairo, are: Adedayo
Omolafe(Expensive), PDP’s candidate for Akure south/ north federal
constituency, and Albert Akintoye of Irele/Okitipupa federal
constituency.

The duo, who served
as council bosses, would be arrested alongside Mr. Agagu over trumped
off charges, Mr. Dairo alleged. He also said that the PDP in the state
has no confidence in the capability of the state police command to
forestall the rising political violence in the state, in view of what
he said are the spates of violence against members of the party.

Daring the state

Mr. Dairo also
accused the government of using the judiciary to unnecessary detain
their members over flimsy charges, just to keep them away pending the
conclusion of the election.

“This attitude is
not only cheap, but absolutely pedestrian. As a matter of fact, they
have began the implementation of this sinister plan by already
incarcerating members of our party,” he said.

However, the state
government has denied the allegation, saying it was not planning to
witch hunt any of the PDP candidates in the state.

The chief press
secretary to the governor, Kola Olabisi, said the state government does
not need the opposition party to tell it the time and the schedule of
the probe panel.

“Agagu has dared us
to probe him, saying his hands are clean. Why is he now afraid of
probe? We have the inalienable right to set up a probe panel. It is our
right to probe them and they cannot tell us the time and how,” Mr.
Olabisi said.

The state
government also dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Agagu before the
National Judicial Commission over the Appeal Court judgement that
invalidated his election. The government described the petition as an
irresponsible exercise, saying the petition was “a mere rehash of the
illogical questions unsuccessfully posed in the past.”

The commissioner
for information, Ranti Akerele, said that the action of the PDP in the
state further showed that they are suffering from poverty of ideas.

“We are amused that men who allegedly have benefitted from the
services of lawyers could be wondering why the Petition Tribunal and
the Court of Appeal did not give judgment in respect of elections in
Local Government Areas where there were no judicial questions posed,”
Mr. Akerele said.