A civil group, the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) has raised an allegation against the State governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola for releasing the sum of N55million to the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the State ahead of July 8th, 2017 bye-election,saying that the sum were released by Mr. Aregbesola to compromise the officials of the electoral umpire in the State before and during the bye-election.
The group also alleged that the sum of N55million were released to the electoral officials through the INEC’s Director of Operation in the State, Mr. Wasiu Adebayo with Phone number: 08035120077, calling on the authority of the Electoral Commission to transfer the said Mr. Azeez and other electoral officials that might be the tools in the hand of politicians to rig the bye-election,out of the State for the period.adding that the State governor was still concluded arrangement to release additional sum of N20million on the eve of July 8th,2017 to the other INEC officials in the affected ten (10) local government areas of the State.
According to the Statement signed by the group’s Chairman,Comrade Adeniyi,Alimi Sulaiman and copies were made available to Journalists on Tuesday, maintained that the State governor released the funds through the former State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus Akeju which Azeez was his ally, called on the security agents, particularly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Department of State Security(DSS) to investigate the Akeju and Azeez over their new alleged plan electoral crime.
It added that Akeju and Azeez claimed to hail from Lagos State where Aregbesola based before he contested for the governorship election in the State on 14th of April, 2007, urging the discerning people of the State to wake up from their slumber by keeping vigil at the activities of the INEC officials in the State ahead of forthcoming bye-election and 2018 governorship election respectively.
The rights group further stressed that the sum of N75million were also taken to Alimosho Local government area of Lagos State at the weekend for sharing among All Progressives Congress (APC) faithful that volunteered to be the party’s agent during the forthcoming bye-election and as well agreed to transfer their Voters card from Lagos to Osun State during the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2018 governorship election in the State,noting that Azeez has been the right man being used to perpetrate this electoral fraud in the State office of the Commission.
It will be recalled that the group (CSCEOS) had alleged at the weekend that Mr. Aregbesola had employed the service of the former Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in the State who hailed from Lagos State at the sum of N55million, for bribing of the electoral officials to compromise the by-election in favour of APC candidate, Mudasiru Hussein, adding that the funds to compromise the electoral officials were source from the recently released second tranche of N12.7billion London-Paris Club Refunds which meant to clear the backlog of workers’ salaries and retirees pensions arrears.
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