The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to resist any attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig Saturday’s re-run election in Essien Udim Local Government of Akwa Ibom State.
”APC is planning to unleash violence on the people and rig the re-run election. We will resist any attempt to invade the local government to rig the election,” PDP said.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said the party already has intelligence report on how the APC and some top officials of government were allegedly perfecting plans to rig the poll.
His words: “The plot, which is being heavily funded by a serving minister, also seeks to transfer the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mike Iginni and replace him with a pliable and already compromised official.
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“This is to be carried out even when there is a subsisting order of the FCT High Court restraining the redeployment of Mr. Mike Igini from Akwa Ibom State pending the determination of the case which is still pending.
“Our party invites Nigerians to note the desperation of the serving minister to throw Akwa Ibom State into a needless crisis because he has realized that the people at the grassroots have rejected the APC and that there is no way the APC can win in any free, fair and credible election.
“We are concerned about the plot to deploy huge number of policemen into a local government and put them under the control of such an officer as a DIG is extremely suspect, as past experiences across the nation had shown that such deployments to violent confrontations, killings, maiming and massive intimidations of voters that only aid election riggers and other anti-democratic forces to compromise electoral processes.
“Our party is worried because there is no way the people of Essien Udim Local Government as well as Akwa Ibom State in general, will sit by, fold their hands and watch compromised security agents invading their communities to rig elections for any desperate politician, without a corresponding resistance,” the PDP said.
The PDP called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to avert “imminent crisis” by immediately reining the Deputy Inspector General from going ahead with “this ignoble mission”, adding that the Police would be held responsible for any death or mayhem arising from the re-run.