The African Action Congress (AAC), Oyo State Chapter, has condemned the local government election held in the state on Saturday.

The party accused the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OSYIEC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of orchestrating “a show of shame and a monumental electoral heist that should not be acknowledged by well-meaning Nigerians”.

Kayode Babayomi, the State AAC Chair in a statement on Sunday said the ‘electoral’ process was marred by widespread irregularities, violence, and intimidation.

A DPO giving the Oyo state AAC chairman @Apostlekay7 a blow/punch after putting him on handcuffs and brutalizing him@seyiamakinde @oyostategovt Shame on you#OyoLGelections@YeleSowore @aacparty pic.twitter.com/ixS0MVTsSm

— SUOAZ 🩺M.D🩺 (@SuoazOfficial) April 27, 2024

He said, “We observed serious delays in the distribution of voting materials, deliberate misplaced materials, the mobilization of PDP thugs to intimidate voters, and the undue influence of security operatives.

“The Chairman and other party members were beaten and unlawfully detained, and several of our candidates' wards were disrupted by PDP thugs. Evidence of all these fraudulent acts are properly documented online; many of which were even posted by eligible voters in Oyo State who were grossly disappointed at the show of shame displayed by Seyi Makinde.

“We had envisaged all these because the Seyi Makinde regime lacks credibility and popularity. If the 5-year regime have served the people right, why is it scared of conducting a free and fair election?

“It is evident that the OYSIEC chairman, Isiaka Olagunje, danced to the tune of the Makinde government, undermining the integrity expected of  an electoral  process. The people of Oyo State have lost trust in the OYSIEC chairman and he should be sanctioned, investigated, arrested and prosecuted as an electoral offender.”

The party, therefore. rejected the “purported results announced by the coalition of PDP and OYSIEC, as they do not reflect the will of the people. We declare that there was no election, but rather a coordinated effort to subvert the democratic process”.

The statement added, “Our strongholds were surrounded by thugs, and there were instances of missing ballot papers and boxes, massive rigging.

“We call for the immediate cancellation of the charade; the fraudulent activity supervised by OYSIEC and that a new date for a free, fair, and transparent electoral process be set. The future of democracy in Oyo State depends on the integrity of our electoral system, and we urge all stakeholders to uphold the principles of democracy.

“We also call for the immediate arrest of the DPO, Sanyo Police Station who was shamelessly caught on camera assaulting our party Chair who was on election duty.

“We will resist this fraud by all means necessary, politically and legally. In the courts and most especially on the streets.”