In the build up of Ondo state gubernatorial election, a group known as the Ondo Rebirth Network (ORN) has raised the alarm over plans by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and intimidate the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) Chief Olusola Oke.

The group in a statement made available yesterday, signed by the Chairman, ORN, comrade Idris Usman and his secretary, Ologun Ayodeji disclosed that there was an orchestrated plan by some persons to use the EFCC to harass Oke, using some charges against him by the commission.

It said that the primary aim of the arrest was to scuttle Oke governorship ambitions.

The group said Oke’s clean record of service and contact with the grassroots is his major selling point in the governorship contest in Ondo State.

“We have reliably gathered that an official of the presidency, who is a close ally of the EFCC Chairman, recently met with a chieftain of the APC from Ondo State where it was decided that the only way to stop the continued rising profile and acceptability of Chief Olusola Oke, who is being projected by several opinions to win the Ondo governorship election, is to use the EFCC to harass him and distract him from his campaigns.

“Details of the plans revealed that Oke would be picked up under trumped-up charges with organised media publicity to turn voters in Ondo against him. The APC leadership in Ondo State are worried that in just a few weeks, Oke has virtually taken over the state from other contestants and the possibility of their candidate emerging victorious at the polls is getting slimmer by the days,” the statement said.

The group however called on the good people of Ondo State to resist any attempt to thwart the popular movement and the rising popularity and acceptability of Oke.