Akume: Militarization Of Osun Akin To Civilian ‘Coup’

akumeThe erstwhile governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, yesterday likened the preparation of the Peoples Democratic Party for today’s governorship election in Osun State to staging a civilian coup.

Citing the militarization of the state and alleged coercion of the electorate by PDP ahead of the election, Senator Akume asked election observers, civil society organisations and the international community to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to avail Osun people “a civil enabling environment to perform their constitutional duty of electing their governor”.

Akume, who is the Senate Minority Leader, in a statement yesterday said: “This culture is both undemocratic and antithetical. It is even unsustainable.

“That it worked for PDP in the Ekiti does not mean it will work in Osun state whose level of citizens’ vigilance is above par”, he maintained.

The APC chieftain argued that the soldiers deployed to Osun State would serve Nigeria better by rescuing “our abducted daughters and restore our territorial integrity by chasing out the criminal insurgents in North East of Nigeria”.

He noted that while the All Progressives Congress has been campaigning and mobilizing the electorate to come out and vote, the PDP “is busy celebrating that with the arrival of the military, their victory is assured. The PDP is threatening the electorate who will dare to come out and exercise their civic responsibility, with arrest”.

Akume added: “Democracy is defined as government of the people, for the people and by the people. This means everything should be done to encourage people participation in elections.

“Elections are also said to be free, fair and credible when citizens are allowed free will of franchise.

“Deployment of heavy security with frequent muscling of the people during electioneering or actual vote cannot by any cannon of interpretation approximate to free poll. There are already reports of selective arrests and detention of APC members assigned critical roles on Election Day”.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Habaa! George Akume, why do u pple talk as if u re already loosing. D more u APCs talk like this d more PDP wil b stronger 2 intimidate u. Its an open balloting, d security is here 2 help maintained peace and order which u politicians have stolen 4rm us. Som ppl cant remember d last time they cast their vote bcos of thugery, violence which u politicians brought. Wit all due respect sir Akume, just shut ur mouth and wait 4 d outcome when Osun decides

  2. @ liz It seems u read news as a story or base on d fact dat u have issues wit APC. Wat d man is saying is jst d plan bitter truth. Y should me who are suppose 2 be on duty 2 restore order been traded on d floor 4 chicken jobs of election. Does dat rings bell 2 ur ear drums. Dis same solders would have been deployed 2 d sambisia forest sum 118days ago by nw dose gals would have been home.think b4 u write or castigate.