Osun 2014: Plans on religious sentiment will fail —APC

With barely 11 days to the conduct of August 9 governorship poll in Osun, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state, on Monday, said the alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to use religious sentiment as a tool would fail, contending that “we are predominantly Muslims and traditional religionists”. In a release issued by the APC’s director of publicity, research and strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, the party accused PDP of intensifying religious campaign against the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, ahead of the governorship election. According to the release, “APC had told the PDP that this religious campaign
will become its albatros for the simple reason that Osun is predominantly moslem and traditional religionists”. It reads in part, “renegade christian community is accusing Aregbesola of being an idol worshiper and therefore, an anti-christ and for this reason, christians should vote for PDP governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore. This is the ‘strategy of a drowning man who, unable to get popular support, is resorting to unwholesome tactics of inciting religious animosity”. But, Omisore’s director of media and strategy, Mr Diran Odeyemi, described the position of APC as “the ranting of a troubled rat struggling to free itself from the claws of a cat after stealing dry fish”. He said “we in the PDP believe in the secularity of Nigeria, Osun State inclusive and we are in touch with all members of religious faiths and already secured the support and prayers of Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers to oust the unpopular and insensitive government of the controversial candidate of the APC, Mr Rauf Aregbesola on August 9 ”. Odeyemi added that “the current government of Aregbesola is disillusioned and perplexed over the imminent disgrace awaiting it on the judgment day when the entire people of Osun in unison would vote for the PDP to rescue the state from the grip of alien political hawks from Lagos, who have brought about unimaginable retrogression in the social and economic fortunes of our dear state”.