BY AHMED AKANBI
A former prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Jackson Lekan Ojo, has warned that the South West will resist any attempt to manipulate elections, saying Osun State cannot be treated like Rivers State.
Ojo said the massive deployment of security forces during last weekend’s Osun governorship election failed to intimidate voters, proving that the region will not accept federal interference.
“Rivers State is not Osun State. You saw the federal might in Osun State during the election. The numbers of governors, the numbers of Senators, the numbers of House of Representatives members that came into Osun.
“Thirty Commissioners of Police were sent to Osun State, that means one Commissioner of Police for every local government area. There were over 30,000 Police, Civil Defense, DSS and others. Were they able to intimidate the people despite their huge presence?” he asked.
The ex-APC chieftain recalled Nigeria’s history, noting that previous republics collapsed because of federal interference in South West elections.
“The First, Second and Third Republic were truncated due to manipulation of elections in the South West by the federal government,” he said.
Ojo also cited the Lagos example during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to buttress his point.
“Something happened sometime ago when President Bola Tinubu was governor of Lagos State. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said he was going to declare a State of Emergency and the people of Lagos told him he dare not do that except he wants to turn the state into a battlefield. There will be serious resistance,” he said.
According to him, President Tinubu understands the political temperature of the region and will not allow it to boil over.
“Tinubu knows that it cannot be done in Osun State. There will be serious resistance. The way it happened here in Rivers State and the people did not resist it cannot happen in Osun State and the people will not resist.
“Mr President knows that the temperature there is always rising and he wouldn’t want it to rise to boiling point. Nobody can even suggest that to Mr. President,” he stated
Speaking further, Ojo condemned the tension in Osun, describing it as political intimidation taken too far.
“What we are seeing in Osun State today is political intimidation taken too far. Osun State still remains a very peaceful state despite recent sponsored disturbances,” he said.
He warned that traditional rulers in the state may be forced to intervene if the federal government fails to check the situation.
“I am too sure that if the federal government does not do its searchlight, the traditional institution in Osun State will hold a meeting and place a curse on all those who are responsible for any and every threat to security in the state,” Ojo said.