The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, alerted the nation to an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cause mayhem during the general election in some states with a view to getting the polls stalemated.
This is as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was planning to postpone elections in the state to allow the APC time to prepare.
At a press conference presided over by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja, the party alleged that plots to stalemate elections is the reason the ruling party is not embarking on massive electioneering campaign.
It therefore urged the National Peace Committee to “note the infractions by the APC in Taraba State and speak out in the interest of peace, particularly given the security situation in the North East, especially now that Nigerians know who to hold responsible, should there be a breakdown of law and order in the state”
Citing the specific example in Taraba State, the party stated: “Of particular reference are the activities of APC’s governorship candidate in Taraba State, Sani Abubakar Danladi, who has now resorted to violence having realised that there is absolutely no hope for him and his party in the March 2, 2019 governorship election. It is an incontrovertible fact, known to all, that Taraba State is a long established stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that Governor Darius Ishaku has the undiluted backing of overwhelming majority of the electorate across the state due to his sterling performance in office.
“Being exasperated and frustrated by the popularity of the PDP and Governor Ishaku, the APC, which is stuck with the most unpopular candidate in the election, is bent at triggering confusion and bloodletting so as to ambush and truncate the electoral process in the state, not minding the human and material damage such portends,” it alleged, adding that it has full information of “how the APC is working with enemies of Taraba State to inject confusion and escalate insecurity in the state so that the governorship election will be deferred to enable federal authorities and security agencies have the opportunity to perpetrate the type of massive rigging that took place in Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections in 2018 and award victory to the APC.”
Wike, on his part while addressing the state PDP Campaign Rally at Okehi, yesterday, vowed that any attempt to postpone the polls would be resisted.
According to him, “INEC is working in liaison with the APC to illegally postpone Rivers elections and create room for manipulation,” despite setting a precedence two years ago in Ondo State, where it established that no election would be postponed on account of intra-party crisis.
Meanwhile, the APC in Taraba State has accused Governor Ishaku of going about the state distributing arms and ammunition to political thugs in order to fight perceived political opposition.
Briefing newsmen, yesterday, the Director General of Danladi Campaign Organisation, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, who alleged that Ishaku “is seizing the opportunity of his immunity clause to distribute arms and ammunition to frustrate opposition parties,” added that even the recent attack on Danladi was orchestrated by the PDP, stressing, “we believe that no other political party than the PDP and Governor Ishaku organised the attack because no party has the types of weapons used by the attackers.
However, the government in a swift reaction through the Commissioner for Information, Inusa Simon Dogari, said the allegations were baseless and should not be taken seriously.
-GUARDIAN-
