Okon Bassey in Uyo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akwa Ibom State has tasked security agencies to deploy video surveillance during the conduct of the governorship and State House of Assembly elections to help check rigging and violence in the state.
Also, PDP has condemned accusations against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Udom Emmanuel and the party by the Young Progressives Party (YPP) of their involvement in rigging the presidential election in the state.
The State Chairman of YPP Apostle Nyeneime Andy had claimed that Governor Emmanuel was seen and spent four hours at the INEC office for undisclosed reason.
But, the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Borono Bassey, in a statement issued in Uyo, challenged Apostle Andy to produce evidence that show that Governor Emmanuel had visited INEC office as claimed.
Mr Bassey regretted that the State Chairman of YPP made “false accusation against the electoral umpire (INEC), our party, the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel.”
He said the security agencies had received several tip-off about heinous activities by known YPP chieftains ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections in the state.
“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.”
He warned that PDP would not tolerate a repeat of any ugly behaviour “as we have petitioned the Security agencies to ensure that they deploy video surveillance all over the state.”
Bassey said 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 neighboring states and are camping them in facilities owned by known YPP chieftains in preparation to unleash unimaginable violence on voters across the state.
The PDP also urged security operatives to apprehend chieftain of any political party who makes effort to mar the smooth, credible and peaceful conduct of the governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the state.
“On receipt of this life-threatening intelligence, we had alerted security agencies who have swung into actions to investigate and nip any chance of the execution of these atrocious plans by YPP in the bud”, Bassey said.
He noted that the State YPP Chairman as an Apostles must have received revelations about the failure that awaits YPP at the next polls in the state and pitied those misled to be in the party.
“We urge millions of Akwa Ibom people to, again, troop out to their respective polling units and use their Permanent Voters Cards and massively vote the PDP. This will frustrate people who wish to drag the state backwards.
“Our Party – the PDP in Akwa Ibom is permanently humbled in gratitude to the millions of Akwa Ibom people who have demonstrated their faith in our party as the most credible platform for the emergence of those to lead and represent our dear state.
“Our vow to honour our own end of the unspoken social contract we have with Akwa Ibom people remains unshaken,” he stressed.
