PDP raises alarm of alleged plot to rig Akwa-Ibom LG senatorial rerun election

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday raised alarm over an exposed plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to unleash violence on the people and rig the re-run senatorial election in Essien Udim Local Government of Akwa Ibom State scheduled for Saturday.

PDP in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja, declared that the party already has intelligence on how a serving minister on President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet has allegedly compromised a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police to deploy policemen to invade the local government, unleash unbridle violence and manipulate the electoral process in favour of the APC.

The said DIG allegedly promised the minister that with proper funding he will do the same thing that was done in Bayelsa in favour of the APC in the November 17, 2019 governorship election.

“As part of the strategy, the DIG reportedly promised to deploy a more senior police Commissioner than the one in Akwa Ibom State to take charge of the command of policemen posted for the election in the local government area and that when that senior police commissioner comes, even the State Police Commissioner will be under his command,” PDP alleged.

The PDP added that plot, which is heavily funded by the serving minister, also seeks to transfer the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, and replace him with a pliable and already compromised REC.

“This is to be carried out even when there is a subsisting order of the FCT High Court restraining the redeployment of Mike Igini from Akwa Ibom State pending the determination of the case which is still pending,” PDP declared.

The party invited 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.

“Any attempt by the APC to invade the local government to rig this election will, indeed, attract dire consequences,” the statement read in part.

The PDP, therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to avert an imminent crisis by immediately reining in his Deputy Inspector General from going ahead with this ignoble mission as the police will be held responsible for any death or mayhem arising from this re-run election in Akwa Ibom State.