Osun Election: Adeoti reveals he won’t boycott APC primary amidst rigging rumour

Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, a factional Governorship aspirant in the Saturday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship primary in Osun said he would not boycott the exercise.

Adeoti, who is enjoying the backing of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, also the immediate past Governor in the state, made this known at a news conference on Friday in Osogbo.

The aspirant said in spite of his doubt that the exercise would not be free and fair, he along with all his supporters, would participate in the exercise.

“My supporters and I are going to participate in the primary election tomorrow.

“We are not going to boycott it. I want to urge all the APC members to go to the Collation Centres in their various wards to vote for me,” he said.

Adeoti alleged that the primary election had been schemed in favour of Governor Oyetola, because of his membership of the National Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (NCECPC) of the party.

He said the date of the primary election, which had earlier been slated for March 5, was reversed by the NCECPC to Feb. 19, to favour Oyetola.

Adeoti, a former Secretary to the State Government, said,  “We have it on good authority that the NCECPC was influenced by Oyetola to reverse the date to have the primary before the National Convention coming up on Feb. 26, 2022.

“It is believed that Oyetola is afraid of contesting a free and fair primary election to be conducted by an objective committee after the convention.

“In the spirit of fair play, objectivity and natural justice, Gov. Oyetola is not supposed to remain in the membership of the NCECPC,” he said.

Adeoti further alleged that the governor had refused to release the register of the party members expected to be used for the primary election.

The aspirant, however, called on the security agencies in the state to provide adequate security for the people during and after the exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Aregbesola had declared his support for  Adeoti, as his preferred candidate to fly the party’s ticket.

Oyetola is seeking to win the party’s ticket to actualise his second term bid.

The moves in the camps of the two leaders had heightened tensions in the political situation in the state.