The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to bribe voters in Osun state with expired rice ahead of the 9 August gubernatorial election.
In a statement by Kunle Oyatomi, Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, APC Osun State, on Saturday the party alleged that the PDP is working with the Customs’ warehouse in Ikeja to induce voters with expired bags of rice.
Oyatomi claimed that PDP had begun to re-bag the expired rice to deceive intended recipients.
He said, “The All Progressives Congress has warned Osun people that the PDP, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs’ warehouse in Ikeja, has loaded trailers filled with thousands of bags of expired rice confiscated several months ago from smugglers.
“The expired bags of rice, which is poisonous, are being brought to Osun for distribution to voters. Competent sources from the Customs have also revealed that the consignment of those rice are unsuitable for human consumption. Osun citizens should therefore be warned that their lives are at risk from PDP poisoned rice.
“It is clear then that what the PDP intended to do was to bring expired rice to repackage and distribute to Osun people. Osun people are not hungry and they will not sell their birthrights for stolen public money, which the PDP want to distribute in towns and villages of Osun.”
PDP Chairman in Osun State, Gani Olaoluwa, however, said the APC allegations are not true. He also accused the APC of sharing expired milk and noodles to induce voters.
“APC is just being mischievous. The party has resorted to fabrication of lies to discredit the PDP, having realised that the people have rejected their party.
“We distributed rice to the people of the state during the Ramadan season three years ago; we did the same two years ago and last year. Did they raise any allegation? They are doing that because of the election? We just want to advise our people to reject the expired sachet of milk and noodles from the APC.”
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