The Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and the Chairman of Pacesetter Transportation Service Company, PTSC, Dare Adeleke, have been alleged of preventing some delegates from participating at ongoing primary election to elect the party’s candidate for Ibadan South East state constituency II.
The party primary is ongoing at the Saint John Primary School, Alake, Academy, Ibadan, the state capital.
Some delegates, while speaking with journalists, alleged that Arapaja and Adeleke are moving around the venue of the primary with military men, who are supposed to provide security for delegates, but started shooting into the air sporadically to intimidate their perceived opposition within the party.
One of the delegates, Sakirat Sheu, alleged that she was already on the queue inside the school when Arapaja and Adeleke came in with soldiers and sent her and others out of the school.
According to her, “We were already on the queue when the Deputy National Chairman, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and Dare Adeleke came, and forced some of us out. The soldiers were shooting into the sky to scare us, we have no option than to go out, preventing us from performing our civic responsibility to the party.
“I am an authentic delegate, my name is on the delegates’ list for Ibadan South East state constituency II, but because I am not in support of their aspirant, that’s why they chased us out.
“But how on earth would a national officer be harrasing ordinary members because of selfish interests? It is uncalled for. I want it to be on record that they want to impose a candidate on us, but it will be challenged legally.”
Also speaking, another delegate, Alhaji Tiamiyu Abidikugu, said he is a leader of the party and a delegate, but to his surprise, he was chased out of the venue by security officers on the order of Arapaja.
He said, “Despite the fact that I am a bona-fide delegate and a leader in Ibadan South East Local Government, I was also chased out of the venue like other delegates, prevented from exercising my democratic responsibility in our party.
“Our national officer and another government appointee, Arapaja and Adeleke, respectively, are the brain behind all the scenario. Those of us that were already inside were chased out, while denying others entrance to the venue.
“If their aspirants are popular, why disrupting the primary? Why are they afraid of free and fair primary?
“I am using this opportunity to implore Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene by calling Arapaja and Adeleke to order to stop further polarising the party.”
