March 10, (THEWILL) – Following the widespread claims by the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State, that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), collaborated with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to rig the rescheduled Gubernatorial/State Assembly elections, the state chapter of the PDP has challenged the YPP in the state to produce evidence of its claims.
The state chairman of the YPP, Apostle Nyeneime Andy, while briefing newsmen on Thursday, alleged that Governor Emmanuel visited and spent several hours with the INEC, in order to rig the said polls.
Andy claimed that the party had received intelligence of an alleged plot to favour the ruling PDP in the state and called on the state police, DSS and international observers, to take curious interest in Akwa Ibom to avert the plot.
He alleged that the state PDP, with the latitude of INEC has perfected plans to rig the forthcoming polls as follows:
Voting materials meant for Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency must not leave INEC office until 12:30 pm on Saturday, March 18th, 2023.
“Voting materials meant for the entire Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District must not be completed in some Federal Constituencies and must not leave INEC office before 10:00 am.
“Voting materials meant for Eket Senatorial District must leave INEC office on time, as it is the presumed ‘sure bet zone’ for the PDP as the state governor hails from there. The early departure of materials for the district is to be well publicised to distract attention or disclaim any accusation about late transportation of materials to any other locations.
“PDP thugs in company of illegal police officers and some genuine military personnel will be drafted to strongholds of opposition parties (emphasis was on YPP) to disrupt election through violence and destroy all the voting materials and even pretend to kidnap some INEC officials so as to exonerate INEC from the deal”, Apostle Nyeneime claimed.
He had also alleged that some BVAS had been preset with figures in favour of PDP before commencement of voting. In such instances, the 0000 on the BVAS will not be seen, Andy had claimed.
However, in a swift reaction on Friday, titled “2023 Elections and YPP’s First Alibi for Looming Defeat”, the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Borono Bassey, challenged the YPP chairman, who is an overseer of an Uyo-based church to produce evidence to buttress his claims without which he should not stand before the pulpit to preach against the sin of lying.
The statement reads in part, “We challenge Apostle Nyeneime Andy to produce even the tiniest shred of evidence that show that governor Udom Emmanuel had visited INEC office on the said day, else the lying state chairman of YPP should never stand before his church to preach against the sin of lying.
“We are shocked that the ill-fated and makeshift Political Party – YPP, is using reverse psychology to make false accusation on the electoral umpire, INEC, our Party, the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel, given that the security agencies have received several tip-offs about heinous activities by known YPP chieftains ahead of the forthcoming elections.
“For instance, there are videos showing notable YPP chieftains in the state at INEC offices in different Local Governments in Akwa Ibom state dishing out crude intimidations and making attempts to assault staff of INEC.
“We must warn that our party will not tolerate a repeat of this kind of behaviour as we have petitioned the Security agencies to ensure that they deploy video surveillance all over the state and also apprehend chieftain of any political party who makes effort to mar the smooth, credible and peaceful conduct of the rescheduled elections.
“Again, the PDP and the security agencies in Nigeria are also in receipt of intelligence from even top-ranking members of the YPP, whose hearts still lie with the PDP that the YPP has ferried in thugs from neighbouring states and are camping them in facilities owned by known YPP chieftains in preparation to use in executing the plan in their playbook, which is to unleash unimaginable violence on voters across the state.”
Bassey revealed that on receipt of this life-threatening intelligence, they alerted security agencies, who swung into action to investigate and nip any chance of the execution of these atrocious plans by YPP in the bud.
The PDP, therefore, urged Akwa Ibom residents, to again, troop out to their respective polling units and use their Permanent Voter Cards and massively vote the PDP and consequently to send a clear message to these elements who wish to drag the state backwards.
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