The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be giving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) undue advantages in the general election by engaging the services of the Lagos State Motor Parks and Garages Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) and its members in the transportation and distribution of election personnel and materials.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Lagos PDP State Publicity Secretary, Hakeem Amode, the party alleged that it was common knowledge that the current leadership of the Motor Parks Committee, under Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo) is an organised arm of the APC in Lagos State.
The PDP said the committee’s emergence came as a result of the interest of the present government and that members of the committee and operators have also declared their support and interest to support candidates of the APC at a well-attended and publicised campaign rally held recently in the state.
“There is clear evidence that the transporters under the aegis of Lagos Motor Parks and Garages are daily openly displaying the campaign banner of the APC candidates on their vehicles plying the roads in Lagos.
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“It, therefore, calls for concern how INEC in the wisdom of its leadership thinks these committee members and transport operators will not undermine its efforts by dancing to the whims and caprices of their benefactor to affect the election in favour of their principal interest.
“We would like to implore the INEC to source for alternative transportation logistics arrangements for the election personnel and materials to avoid the efforts of the commission being eroded by elements who are interested in serving the interest of their political benefactors in the coming election.
“We suggest that the option of engaging Uber, Taxify and other private transport operations should be considered rather than employing the services of a known political arm of the ruling party in the state,” the statement read.
The party said that it believes in the capacity of the INEC to conduct a free and fair election in the state, advising the leadership of the commission to preserve its sanctity by jettisoning the idea of engaging the services of members of Lagos State Motor Parks and Garages in the deployment of its personnel and materials as that may lead to eroding the confidence the electorate already repose in the commission ahead of the 2023 election.
“In the same light, the leadership of our party would be readily available to suggest independent transport operation organisations that would serve the interest of the commission better and preserve the respect the electorate accord the commission,” the PDP stressed.
