VOTER REGISTRATION: OSUN PDP, ACN ACCUSE EACH OTHER OF MANIPULATIONS

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State has accused the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, of disallowing members of the opposition parties to register for the on-going voters registration through intimidation and coercion.

Addressing newsmen yesterday, the Acting Chairman of the PDP in the state, Otunba Sunday Ojo Williams, claimed that the ACN plan to  disenfranchise voters by denying them the opportunity to register.

But the ACN through its director of Research and Strategy, Mr. Sunday Akere,   denied the  allegation, saying that PDP was known for bringing in machinery voters from other parts of the country who were neither resident, indigenes nor working in the state as stipulated by INEC.

Mr. Akere stated that PDP was known in the past for moving people from Lagos, Kano, Kaduna or any other part of the country for the purpose of registering them, adding that the ruling party would no longer tolerate any act of illegality arising from the voters' registration.

He alleged that 'members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly who are PDP members have been moving round the state with illegal voters for the purpose of registering them for the April general elections.'

The PDP faulted this position, saying that 'let no one complain that our brethren who have decided to come home and register in their place and state of birth have no right to do so.'

Otunba Ojo Williams alleged that a man armed  with a gun with numerous rounds of ammunition was arrested in Oriade Local Government Area of the state during the exercise while similar incidences were also recorded in Ikirun, Iresi and Okuku.

The  acting Chairman also alleged that in some areas known members of political parties opposed to the ACN were arrested and detained by the police on fake charges just to intimidate them.