The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of admitting to having played a role in the alleged manipulation of the 2018 governorship election in the state.
The party’s reaction followed a statement attributed to Buhari in which he reportedly said the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the Osun governorship election through “remote control.”
The Osun PDP described the remark as an indication that Buhari, who was the leader of the APC at the time, was actively involved in what it called electoral manipulation during the September 2018 election.
The party made its position known in a statement signed by its then state chairman, Soji Adagunodo.
According to the PDP, Buhari made the “remote control” comment during a meeting with traditional rulers in Osun State, with the remark subsequently reported by various media organisations.
The party described the statement as an alleged admission of electoral wrongdoing and accused the former president of endorsing what it characterised as electoral interference.
The PDP said the comment was particularly troubling coming from the country’s president and called on the Osun governorship election petition tribunal to take note of the statement in its consideration of the case before it.
The party also urged civil society organisations and international observer groups to pay attention to what it described as Buhari’s admission, particularly in the context of the political activities surrounding the 2019 general election.
The PDP further alleged that the APC was becoming increasingly desperate ahead of the presidential election and called on relevant institutions to scrutinise the conduct of political actors.
The statement was issued on January 27, 2019, and signed by Soji Adagunodo, then Chairman of the Osun State PDP.
The claims made by the PDP were political allegations and did not, by themselves, constitute a judicial finding that the 2018 Osun governorship election was manipulated.
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