I’m ready for PDP forces – Aregbesola

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has said that he is prepared to face Peoples Democratic Party forces in the August 9 governorship election, insisting that he will win the election by popular votes.

Aregbesola, who spoke in Osogbo, on Saturday, warned the PDP against rigging the governorship election. According to him, the PDP does not have the support of the masses like him.

When asked how his party would react if there was an attempt by security forces to restrict its leaders and members, Aregbesola said nobody could stop the people of Osun from exercising their civic right.

He said, “I’m a product of the popular forces, by popular forces, I mean the people, I emanated from them, I’m a product of their struggle. I’ve interacted on a daily basis with the people from the outset of my administration. They know me and I know them. I have affected their lives through populist programmes.

“I’m from the street and it is easy for me to go back to the street because that’s where my people are. Can they (PDP) go to the street?

“They don’t know who they are facing; my real home is the street. Look at me, do I look like a governor? That’s why I call my administration government unusual because we need to bring passion and vision into governance and break away from stagnating ways of doing things.

“Let’s meet on the street. My administration has the full support of the masses.”

But the Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, said the PDP would stop the APC from rigging the election.

Obanikoro, who spoke with our correspondent in Osogbo, on Saturday, accused the APC of planning to rig the election, stressing that the PDP would resist the alleged attempt.

On the allegation that the PDP is planning to militarise Osun governorship election, Obanikoro explained that there was the need to provide the electorate with a level playing field devoid of harassment and intimidation.

He said, “We are not here to capture Osun. We want people to come out without any fear or intimidation and cast their votes. The noise, the hullabaloo that you are hearing is because they want to rig. We know them too well with their capacity to rig election. They are not for one man, one vote. They have been importing people into the state.”