By Dayo Johnson
AS controversies continued to trail last week by-election in Ondo State, the Action Congress (AC) yesterday said it would challenge the result of the election at the Election Petition Tribunal.

The Labour Party, however, in a statement accused the PDP of perpetrating the violence that trailed the election and that it was the law enforcement agencies and youths in Akure North council areas that checkmated the PDP thugs.

A statement by the LP Director of Research and Publicity, Seyi James accused the PDP of trying to discredit “the most credible election in Ondo State in recent times.”

The Party accused PDP of resorting to character assassination after losing the election, adding that the LP “is not unaware of the frustration which has befallen members of the PDP since their fall from power.”

A candidate of the AC in the last Saturday Election to the House of Assembly, David Olorunimbe Ameto addressing newsmen yesterday said the party would challenge the result of the election at the tribunal.

Ameto said the party is collating the facts and would challenge the result at the appropriate time to show that the election was a charade.

He alleged that he as a candidate and his party members were prevented from voting by political thugs who manhandled him in the presence of Law Enforcement agents.

According to him, “my party accredited agents were deprived of performing their duty and ordered out of the premises of INEC contrary to the rule of free and fair election.

Ameto said political thugs invaded Igoba, Oba Ile and Ogbese and caused havoc and inflicted bodily harm on people and prevented AC supporters from exercising their civic responsibility.

According to him “all these electoral malpractices took place unchallenged in the presence of INEC and Police”.

Meanwhile, the LP alleged that the violence during the last Saturday election in Akure North “were orchestrated by members of a strike force but the government has put the necessary machinery in place to truncate their evil machination.

“But rather than resorting to blackmail and lies, they should lick their wound quietly. The people of Akure North have spoken about their preference for LP in the state. This election is a watershed in our democratic experience in Ondo state.

“The LP frowns at calculated attempt by the opposition to trivialize issues and thus discredit an election applauded to be the very best in recent times.”

It commended the people of the constituency for voting for the LP candidate, Mr Akindele Adeniyi into the House of Assembly.