A human rights group in Nigeria, the Centre for Human Rights and
Social Justice (CHRSJ) has called for the immediate probe into alleged
Osun Video clip by the security agents including Nigerian Police,
Department of State Security Services (DSSS) and INTERPOL and National
Human Rights Commission (NHRC), insisting that the alleged Osun video
clip on how August 9th, 2014 Osun State governorship election was
rigged in favour of Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola,was true and the
allegation must be thoroughly investigated.
The group also alleged that the election was rigged in favour of
Ogbeni Aregbesola through the grand plan and arrangement of the then
Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus
Akeju before the authority of the Independent National Electoral
Commission(INEC) sent him on compulsory annual leave, supporting their
argument with the usage of members of Rauf Aregbesola –Osun Youth
Empowerment Scheme(OYES) cadets as Polling Officers(POs) and
Assistant Polling Officers(APOs) and creation of illegal voting point
during the Osun August governorship election.
Addressing a Press Conference tagged “WHY SECURITY AGENTS AND NHRC
MUST PROBE THE ALLEGED OSUN ELECTION RIGGED VIDEO CLIP” at the main
hall of the International Press Centre (IPC),Ogba,Lagos State
yesterday,the Executive Chairman of the Centre,Comrade Adeniyi Alimi
Sulaiman,maintained that it was the reason why the group wrote a
serious petition to the authorities of security agents,National Human
Rights Commission(NHRC) and international community to compel the
appropriate authority in the country to set up an independent panel of
enquiry to investigate the alleged video clip.
According to Sulaiman,”from the alleged Osun Video clip which I will
like to refer the public,including the men of the fourth estate of the
realm to watch on YouTube tagged “ERU IBO -AREGBESOLA/APC RIGGED OSUN 2014
ELECTION “I want to say unequivocally that Osun 2014 governorship election
was
marred with election malpractices in favour of Mr. Aregbesola but
because of propaganda popularity of Aregbesola, the people of the
State did not look at the malpractices which we believed that the court of
Appeal Tribunal on the election will look into it deeply”.
Speaking further on the matter,Sulaiman who called for the
investigation into the alleged both audio and video clip on Ekiti and
Osun States respectively in order to settle the dust raised by the
clips once and for all,stressing that some elements within and outside
Osun State have been working round the clock to ensure that the
alleged Osun video clip was swept under the carpet by politicizing the
mind boggling allegation on how August 9th,2014 governorship election
was rigged in favour of Mr Rauf Aregbesola.
He said,”To us, Captain Sagir Okoli has collected huge sum of amount from the
hands of the Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) before he
released the alleged Audio clip which made him to run away when he
later realized that the alleged Audio Clip could not hold water.
“APC and its co-travelers are just shielding crocodile tears over the
alleged Ekiti Audio clip as part of the ploy to distract the attention
of the millions of Nigeria from being parading certificated and
unqualified Presidential candidate in order to draw sympathy from the
unsuspected public to their cause during the 2015 election.We want to
use this opportunity to call on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in
the country to stop using Ekiti Audio clip to overheating the tense
political atmosphere of the country as we are moving closer to 2015
general elections or trying to use it to score cheap political
popularity. We also want to call on the appropriate authority to
investigate the both audio and video clips respectively so as to
settle the dust raised by it once and for all.
“it has been revealed that some elements in Osun State and outside
the State have been working round the clock to sweep the video clip
allegation under the carpet by politicizing the mind boggling
allegation and we want to declare that the alleged video clip on how
August 9th, 2014 Osun State governorship election was rigged in favour
of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressive Congress (APC) should
not be allowed to be swept under the carpet by the respective
authority concern.
“We are calling on Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General
of State Security Services (SSS), Interpol and Security agents in the
nation to commence the immediate investigation into the alleged Osun
Governorship rigged Video Clip in order safe our democracy from fifth
columnist who called themselves progressive”.
“National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and international community
should prevail on the Federal Government to set up the independent
panel of enquiry to investigate the alleged Osun rigged Video Clip and
also direct the appropriate agency to immediately commence the unbias
investigation into the weighty allegation.We also believe that if the
video clip allegation is not thoroughly investigated, it may lead the
people to loose confidence in the ballot system of electing their
leaders periodically in the country”,Sulaiman added.