Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday raised the alarm over the resumption of Dr. Rufus Akeju as the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Akeju had been forced out as REC in Osun State few weeks to the August 9 governorship election in the state following allegation of bias raised by the PDP.
The PDP had insisted that Akeju was loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC), having allegedly served as an aide to the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu.
But after about two months away from the seat, Akeju reappeared in the state yesterday provoking opposition from the PDP.
The party said it was alarmed by the “ return of Akeju to office at this moment, when there are fears about the safety of both used and unused materials for the last governorship election.”
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Strategy,
Prince Diran Odeyemi, the party queried the decision to return Akeju as Osun REC, having allegedly established his loyalty to the APC.
It insisted “with the return of Akeju, it is evident that, having failed to illegally gain entrance into INEC premises to doctor materials used for the poll when the former REC, who conducted the poll was in office, the coast may be getting clearer for the APC to eventually perfect fraud it perpetrated during the last governorship poll.
It also accused INEC of “acting strange” on the matter, demanding that the commission’s official, who conducted the election which was still a subject of legal tussle, would be removed when insinuations were growing about alleged  plans by APC leaders to doctor the materials used for the poll.
The statement said: “The INEC will have to explain to us why
a REC that saw a political contest among politicians as a personal issue between him and the PDP candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, would be returned to office, even when there are overt plans by some people to doctor the materials used for the poll.
“This same Akeju went to mosque, donated N100,000 and told the clerics that the money was in appreciation of his victory over Senator Omisore. Akeju had done enough damage, returning him now, with no iota of doubt, gives both INEC and APC out as allies working towards perfecting electoral fraud in the state.”

PDP opposes Akeju’s return as Osun REC