The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has urged the All Progressives Congress, APC, to forget any plan to rig the governorship election coming up this weekend.
Three states, Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi are taking part in the off-season governorship election slated for November 11, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Analysts insist that the election is a two-horse rs e for the two major political parties, which have accused each other of trying to rig the make or mar election for Nigeria’s biggest political parties.
While the APC currently controls Imo and Kogi, the PDP is in firm control of Bayelsa, where tension is currently on the rise due to allegation that the ruling APC is planning to capture power at all cost.
But, the PDP says the APC should forget any plan to rig the gubernatorial election in the three states.
The party made this known in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, on Thursday.
The PDP has directed its supporters to ensure that they protect their votes to forestall rigging, adding that “anybody, no matter how highly placed” who tried to manipulate the election would incur the wrath of the people.
The party said recent polls indicate that its candidates in the three states are leading.
The statement read in part: “Our Party restates that it will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed to manipulate the electoral process in the governorship election in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States.
“Our Party states in clear terms that anybody who attempts to rig or manipulate the election in any way may have to deal with the legitimate wrath of the people.
“The PDP specifically cautions Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and his puppet candidate, Usman Ododo, to accept their rejection by the people for their abysmal failure in government and get ready to concede defeat on Saturday.
“The PDP reaffirms that all indices from several Entrance Polls indicate that the PDP candidates are leading and will sweep the governorship election in the three States.
“Any electoral trajectory that does not reflect the clear tide of the Will of the people at the Polling Units will be firmly resisted.
“In Imo State, the PDP confirms that it has received messages and visits from many prominent Imo State citizens, including major industrialists and businessmen wherein they expressed their support for the PDP Candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
“These prominent Imo citizens have also denied their reported support and donation of funds to the APC and its governorship candidate, Governor Hope Uzodimma.
“Of course, no well-meaning citizen of Imo State will lend support to Governor Hope Uzodimma whose administration has wrecked the economy of the State, brought untold hardship to the people and turned Imo State into a theatre of violence, killings and kidnapping.
“Our Party challenges Governor Uzodimma to make public the names of the Imo State citizens he claimed to have donated money to his campaign so that the people can identify the enablers of insecurity and hardship that his administration represents in the last three years.”
