Claims and counter-claims on Monday again rocked the political atmosphere in Osun State.
This followed the claim by the Peoples Democratic Party that the Elections Petitions Tribunal hearing the party’s petition over the outcome of the governorship election that returned Governor Rafu Aregbesola, had declared the PDP candidate, Iyiola Omisore, as the governor elect.
The party said this followed the discovery of uncounted 100,000 votes in favour of Omisore, which invariably led to his having more votes in the election that Aregbesola.
The party said Aregbesola, who flew the flag of the All Progressives Congress, was calling for a rerun but that it was not going to go back on its demand for the inauguration of Omisore.
However, the APC said there was no such development at the tribunal on Monday.
Its Osun State Publicity Secretary, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, said the information, which went viral on the social media on Monday, was another way of creating confusion by the PDP.
Oyatomi said in the statement: “The All Progressives Congress, State of Osun, has called on the citizens of the state to disregard the stupid story on the net which some media houses are likely to replicate tomorrow about the Osun August 9, 2014election.
“The story is not only false, it is a total fabrication by PDP agents. There is nothing in that story which happened or is likely to happen.
“The PDP has turned the propagation of lies and the fabrication of stories into their new psychological bastion. They are now removing themselves from reality and regaling in fantasy.
“No vote was recounted by anybody and there was no court order to that effect. So it is all lies.
“So the claim that Omisore is likely to be declared winner of that election in a couple of weeks by the Tribunal is the hallucination of a lunatic.”
The PDP, through its state Director of Publicity, Diran Odeyemi, was quick to respond to the position of the APC.
It raised the following posers: “Ask Barrister Oyatomi, my good friend: 1. Are Lawyers from APC and PDP doing any inspection of ballot votes at INEC or not?
“2. If yes what is the feedback from their lawyers and if no what is happening or what has been happening in INEC office for the past four weeks.
“3. Can APC deny writing a petition against the former Tribunal Chairman and the members out of fear?
“4. Why is Omisore asking that he be declared Gov elect and APC prayer has been for a re-run of the election.
“Whatever is the response, we shall meet at the Tribunal on Thursday 30th Oct.Let them recall Justice Salam from retirement, we shall detonate their ballon of lies with the pin of truth.”