APC Allegation is baseless -PDP
Osun State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) today alleged that the Presidency instructed the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State to intensify its religious campaign against Governor Rauf Aregbesola in an attempt to persuade Christians to vote against him.
In a press statement by the Director of Media for the party, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, APC said the decision was taken at a meeting in the Presidency on Wednesday during the review of Aregbesola’s campaign activities by PDP top echelon.
APC said the Presidency is particularly worried that Rauf Aregbesola appeared to be waxing stronger in popular support and the only way to check him was to intensify the use of the religious card.
His word “But unfortunately for the Presidency, as that decision was being taken in Abuja, the people of Osun were resoundingly rejecting any idea of religious hatred when hundreds of thousands of people, Christians, Moslems and traditional religionists alike celebrated their governor in one of the most marvellous crowd-pulling campaign rallies in Ilesha ever seen in Osun”.
Oyatomi said the APC expressed sadness and deep concern that the Presidency is playing with religious politics which is already causing grave problems for Nigeria in the phenomenon called Boko Haram.
“If Aso Rock is now instigating Christian religious hatred and bigotry against a component State Governor, are we sure it is not also using Boko Haram to its political advantage considering what is happening in the States of the North East where the insurgents are active?”, the APC asked.
Reacting, Osun PDP spokesperson, Prince Diran Odeyemi said APC has no programme and could not convince Osun people on why they should vote for Aregbesola again. He said PDP is busy with campaign and that the party does not have time for all the unfounded allegations coming from APC.
Odeyemi said nobody can use religion to deceive people of Osun State as there are Muslims in every Christian family and there are Christians in every Muslim family in the state.
“Even though Senator Omisore is a Christian, there are many Muslims in his family. There are mosques in his family compound just as you will see church in his family compound. APC should stop blackmailing the PDP and the Presidency just to score cheap political goal and wipe unwarranted sentiment”.