A Civil Society Organization, Advocacy for Social Justice &Probity has raised alarm over what it termed a dangerous trend in the political climate of Ondo State against the Saturday poll, as it accused the Deputy Governorhip Candiate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Festus Akingbaso, of assembling thugs and police uniforms.
The group said Akingbaso, a native of Idanre as at Wednesday morning brought hundreds of police uniforms to his residence located in the town and as well assembling thugs armed with dangerous weapons in a hospital very close to Owa of Idanre palace, belonging to one of the chieftains of PDP in the town.
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Akeem Ojo and made available to newsmen in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Akingbaso was also accused of setting up different teams on behalf of his party across the State to distribute money to electorate for the purpose of buying their votes.
The group, therefore, called on the heads of security agencies in the State to quickly beam their searchlight on the Deputy Governorship candidate of PDP to avert break down of law and order before and during the exercise.
“As an organnization saddled with the responsibility of propagating social justice and non-violent culture across Nigeria and having being keenly monitoring political development in Ondo State in the past few months, we have it in good authority that the Deputy Governorship Candidate of PDP, Hon. Festus Akingbaso, is presently assembling fully armed thugs in a hospital very close to Owa of Idanre palace.
“Also, a credible source confirmed to us that the politician has brought hundreds of police uniforms into his house in Idanre with the intention to manipulate the process on Saturday and cause serious confusion and chaos.
“We are now calling on security agencies to move in as a matter of exigency and arrest the situation to avert violence and manipulation of the process.
“In the same vein, we call on the management of Newtelegraph, a National Daily known to be unbiased to caution one of their staff, Mr Tope Okeowo, who is a former media aide to the PDP candidate, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, for throwing ethical journalism and professional sanctity into the dustbin by writing false reports against the ruling APC in solidarity with his former boss”, the statement read.