Ahead of the Saturday’s supplementary
governorship election in Bayelsa State, the national leadership of the
Peoples Democratic Party has literally declared war, saying that members
of the party were free to unleash their anger on anyone trying to
manipulate the election.
It urged its members to use all means
necessary in a democracy to resist any move by any one, including the
All Progressives Congress, to rig the election.
The party said it was aware of alleged
plots by the APC to use security operatives and officials of the
Independent National Electoral Commission to attempt to produce
fictitious votes and declare itself the winner.
It however vowed that any such bid would be greeted with resistance and dire consequences.
The PDP leadership in a statement signed
by the National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, early on
Tuesday claimed that Southern Ijaw “is a well-known PDP stronghold” and
that it would never accept any results that failed to reflect the will
of the people.
Metuh issued the statement before he was
arrested by some officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission for alleged corruption.
He said in the statement, “We issue this
statement as a direct notice to the APC and their compromised INEC,
military and other security operatives who have been stationed to
ostensibly assist to produce fictitious votes with which the APC intends
to declare itself winner.
“Let it be known to all that the PDP is fully mobilised for Saturday’s supplementary election.
“Our members across Southern Ijaw have
been stationed in every polling unit, every collation centre and every
exit and entry point in the area, and have been directed to use all
means available in a democracy to stop the APC in their trail.
“Southern Ijaw Local Government is a
well-known stronghold of the PDP and we will not, in any way, accept
anything short of a free, fair and credible election, abundantly
reflecting the will of the people.
“Anything to the contrary will attract
terrible consequences. We restate our resolve that never again will the
PDP allow itself to be manipulated out in any election at any level, no
matter the level of intimidation by the APC-led administration.”
Metuh said his party had lost confidence
in INEC and security agencies in the country, saying members of the
party in the region should closely monitor the activities of the
commission and its officials.
But the National Secretary of the APC,
Mai Mala Buni, said the APC was worried by the latest and familiar
antics of the PDP which it accused of beating “war drums” ahead of the
Saturday’s governorship supplementary election in Southern Ijaw Local
Government.
Buni said the APC was aware of PDP’s
ploy to intimidate eligible voters, INEC officials and security
operatives deployed to ensure a peaceful, free and credible
supplementary election in the state on Saturday.
He said, “While the APC prays for a
peaceful, free and credible supplementary election on Saturday, security
agencies must be on high alert over the dangerous threats by the PDP to
cause a breakdown of law and order in Bayelsa State on Saturday.
“Already, the PDP leadership, through
its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, has issued
instructions to the PDP members and supporters to “go ahead to use all
means necessary” in Saturday’s supplementary election in the Southern
Ijaw come Saturday.
“This is among other dangerous threats by the PDP warning of ‘terrible consequences’ to INEC officials and security operatives.”
The party’s scribe said history might
not repeat itself but it rhymed. He noted that it was clear that the PDP
was still suffering from a hangover of its old ways of doing things.
Punch
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