Adedayo Akinwale ín Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unleash violence before and during the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States.
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, accused the main opposition party of creating an atmosphere of fear and stage-managed violence to scare voters from coming out on election day to exercise their franchise.
Issa-Onilu said: “We strongly call on security agencies to take seriously PDP’s recent threats to the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is the Chairman of the APC Kogi State National Governoship Campaign Council, to steer clear of Kogi State during the electioneering period.
He noted that the ruling party has received reports of arms stockpiling and vote-buying plans by PDP elements in Bayelsa State.
He stated: “We have also confirmed reports showing plans are afoot to stage-manage violence to disrupt the election while blaming APC.
“One asks, why has the PDP refused to embark on any major campaign in Bayelsa and Kogi States? They are clearly not planning for a credible electoral process. We have confirmed PDP’s grand plan to compromise security agents and electoral personnel deployed for the governorship elections.”
The party spokesman alleged that PDP has decided to create an atmosphere of fear, stage-managed violence and cause chaos on election day in Kogi State because the party had no answer to Governor Yahaya Bello’s tremendous accomplishments.
Issa-Onilu added that the center has completely fallen apart in Bayelsa State for the PDP due to the gale of defection of many party stalwarts and senior appointees of the outgoing administration of Governor Seriake Dickson into the APC fold.
