In a statement signed by the deputy national publicity secretary of the PDP, Prince Diran Odeyemi, which was forwarded to the TribuneOnline in Osogbo, the party contended that “the rate at which those it described as true patriots and critical stakeholders in the affairs of the state are moving out of the party has created fear in the ranks of the APC”.
While advising the APC and its “collaborators” to perish the thought of rigging the poll, the PDP stated that “the people of Osun have not hidden their resolve to protect their votes, even at the risk of their life”
The statement reads in parts, “we are congratulating old PDP members that are returning to the party, after sojourning in APC, for taking a bold step towards rescuing Osun, urging those that are yet to return and other people in the fold of the ruling party, with genuine interest of the state at heart, to join efforts aimed at putting a stop to continued annexation of Osun to Lagos”.
“It is obvious there is growing anxiety in the ranks of the All Progressives Congress in Osun ahead of the governorship poll because of gains the PDP has recorded dislodging the tormentors of Osun. We are ready to protect our votes, even at the risk of our life. We won’t allow what happened in Ekiti here in Osun”.
Reacting over the development, the APC director of publicity, research and strategy in Osun, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi argued that “their so-called fear or jitter would be enveloped would be smoked out by September 22. They are the one jittery, we are not. I don’t know who they refer to as stakeholders in our party that have left. People should begin to evaluate politicians from the point of view of popularity and acceptability in their wards and local government.”
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According to him, “APC is a pillar, a rock that cannot be shaken and this tokenism of detection is not bothering us. As expected of a father, we have done our best for them not to go, but if they have made up their mind by choosing that path to leave the house they supposedly built, we have left them to go. At the right time, they will return home. I mean those who belong to us, we know them.
“There are some who came for shopping. They have done the window shopping and they must go to their home. So, they have returned to their homes. We don’t bother about that because we know that they will eventually go like a grasshopper that never stays in one place. APC is earnestly looking forward September 22 for another victory. We have been winning it and we would continue to win governorship election in the state. You can’t stop the moving train”, Oyatomi asserted.
and then