Members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State have asked President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a free, fair and credible bye-election to fill the vacant seat of the Akoko North East/Akoko North-West federal constituency.

The electoral body scheduled the election in the constituency for Saturday, February 3.

In a statement on Tuesday, the PDP said to Mr Tinubu that the bye-election for the Akoko federal constituency would be another test for the country’s growing democracy. 

The PDP’s spokesperson in the state, Kennedy Peretei, who signed the copy of the statement obtained by Peoples Gazette, said votes of the electorate participating in the bye-election must count and should not be rigged.

Mr Peretei said it was also important for Mr Tinubu to give a marching order to the security agents who will be deployed for the bye-election to be professional in the discharge of their duties. 

He added that any attempt to muscle up candidates of opposition parties in the coming exercise would not be tolerated, noting that it was better to avoid the tension. 

“The Peoples Democratic Party Ondo State Chapter wishes to plead with Mr President (Tinubu) to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a free, fair and credible election. The people’s votes must count and any attempt to rig the election will be resisted.

“Our party notes the wilful attempts by certain elements in government with an insatiable appetite for greed and avarice for power through any crooked means, to use this election to test the will of the people, no matter the dire consequences of such importunate and inordinate ambitions.

“These lazy politicians rather than meaningfully engaging the electorate are again banking and shamelessly boasting on your support to skew the electoral process to their undue advantage.

“It is against this background that we make this appeal to allow all those that will be on duty for this election to discharge their responsibilities professionally in order to strengthen our democracy,” noted Mr Peretei in the statement. 

About five political parties have fielded candidates for the bye-election to fill the seat vacated by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, after he was appointed Minister of Interior by President Bola Tinubu.