Ahead of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States billed for November 21 and December 5 respectively, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was inciting violence in these states.
The party in a statement on Wednesday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the APC was making this plot with a view to causing confusion, frustrate the electoral process and possibly impede the forthcoming governorship elections in the states.
It said the APC, having realized that it did not have the support of the electorates in the two states, especially given its unpopular candidates, was now employing devious machinations, including violence to terrorize the people, disrupt and eventually truncate the elections.
The party said: “The imprints of the APC could be felt in the sudden militancy in Kogi as well as the growing cases of political violence in Bayelsa ahead of the November 21 and December 5 governorship elections in the two states respectively.
“The APC has perfected a heinous plot to inject crisis in Kogi and Bayelsa, ostensibly to frustrate the electoral procedures within the constitutional time frame, so as to prevent PDP candidates, Governors Idris Wada and Seriake Dickson from being re-elected into office.
“We invite Nigerians to note that the build up to the militancy in Kogi has been long started by the APC and its candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, who has been fouling the state’s political environment with hate and inciting utterances, including threats to lives of PDP supporters and perceived political opponents.
“Intelligence information available to us indicates that the APC has been training and arming thugs to unleash mayhem and destabilize the state ahead of the election.
“Recall that earlier this month, Prince Abubakar Audu directed these thugs to attack and “kill” PDP supporters and those perceived to be opposed to the ambition of the APC in the state. Nigerians should therefore not be surprised at the sudden militancy in Kogi state. We know that the aim here is to infuse confusion, truncate the electoral process and eventually rig the poll in favour of the APC.
“Also, in Bayelsa state, the APC in its desperation for power has been heating up the system and arming thugs, apparently to cause crisis in the state polity, frighten the electorate and possibly derail the election to their advantage.
“Nigerians are witness to the sponsored violence that characterized the APC governorship primaries in Bayelsa, with party leaders pointing accusing fingers at APC’s candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva.
“We are aware that the same set of APC thugs used during their primaries have now been further armed and instructed to attack PDP members and perceived opponents of the APC, intimidate electoral officials and disorganize the elections.
“The PDP therefore charge Nigerians, all security agencies and the international community to note the evil machination of the APC and hold them responsible for the growing disturbances, especially should there be any breakdown of law and order during the governorship elections in the states.
“In the same vein, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to see the two forthcoming elections as litmus tests of his democratic credentials. He should, as duty demands of him as the father of the nation to ensure that he takes immediate steps to rein in members of his party, the APC in the two states.
“We also call on the people of these two core PDP states of Kogi and Bayelsa to be vigilant and ensure that they do not fall prey to the gimmicks of the APC in their desperation to subvert their will and steal their mandate.
“Finally, the PDP wishes to state categorically that it would not hesitate to use any means available within the ambit of the law to ensure free and transparent elections and would not accept any attempt by anybody whatsoever to rob us of our oncoming deserving electoral victory in these states.”
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