From Mfon Ekefre, Uyo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of strategizing to take over PDP controlled states including Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states through the governorship election petition tribunals.
According to the PDP, “Already, APC has also perfected plans to rig Kogi and Bayelsa elections coming up towards the end of the year.”
The accusation was made by the acting chairman of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondus, when he led members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to visit the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Gabriel Udom Emmanuel.
He said part of the strategy is the retention of the Acting INEC chairman, Amina Zakari, whose tenure had expired and she cannot manage any election and therefore call for her removal.
Also Secondus said that the new director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS) was a member of APC Intelligence Committee , alleging that he is using the machinery of the security agency to coerce the INEC officials and the judiciary to act against the popular will of the people.
Secondus said: “We are aware of the manoeuvre of the security architecture of the states controlled by PDP. We are aware of all kinds of transfers in DSS to achieve the plan of taking over by force of PDP controlled states. Security men have gone to testify for APC. But we are not worried about that because at the end of the day the truth will prevail.”
Commenting on the recent search of Akwa Ibom State government House, Uyo, Secondus called on the Federal Government to set up a judicial panel of unbiased eminent persons and lawyers to look at what happened so that those behind it will face the full weight of the law.
He regretted that two weeks after the dastardly act, the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) has not spoken about it.
He said that “everything in Nigeria is partisan, otherwise the NGF would have condemned the action, no matter the parties the governors belong.”
Secondus who said the PDP offered Nigerians Freedom of Information Act (FOI), called on Nigerians not to allow the push for one party state by the APC, insisting that a multi-party democracy will lead to sustainable development.
In his remarks Governor Emmanuel said Akwa Ibom was totally a PDP state and the people were in full support of the government.
He said: “Akwa Ibom is peaceful. Here we don’t discriminate against anyone, the free and compulsory education, free health for pregnant women, children under the age of five and the aged is enjoyed by non-indigenes who are very many.”
The governor added that the government of Akwa Ibom state would continue to work hard to lead in good governance, provision of the right environment for industrialization and respect for rule of law.
Leave a Reply