The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders against manipulating Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States.
The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said the party will not stand by and watch the elections manipulated.
Ologunagba further warned that it will not accept results that are not consistent with the will of the people.
He decried that less than four days to the election, the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has not redeployed Prof. Sylvia Agu, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), despite the widespread outcry.
The party had charged the INEC chairman to emulate the Inspector General of Police (IGP), who redeployed the Imo state Commissioner of Police after public outcry.
The party said: “Information available to us indicates that INEC had held several meetings on the Imo election and that preponderance of opinion in INEC was that it was imperative that Prof. Sylvia Agu should be redeployed in order to maintain the integrity and neutrality of INEC.
“The INEC Chairman should not succumb to the alleged pressure from the APC, especially from an APC national officer said to be related to Prof. Sylvia Agu.
“It is in the interest of Prof. Agu to recuse herself from participating, supervising or superintending the Saturday, November 11, election in Imo State
“The PDP is aware of Prof. Agu’s mission which is to compromise and manipulate the election in favour of the APC, having regards to her antecedent in previous elections.
“The PDP wants to state that our party and candidate are winning the Imo election and we and the people of Imo State will never fold our hands and watch the election manipulated by anybody whatsoever.
“The PDP believe that the INEC Chairman knows the implication of any attempt to compromise election in a State like Imo. He should heed the voice of reason and redeploy Prof Agu immediately.”
“We are set to win overwhelmingly in Imo State because of the acceptability of our candidate and party among the people. He is accessible, grassroot politician, humane, understands and connects to the suffering of the people.”
Speaking on Kogi, the party said that Governor Yahaya Bello is also overwhelmed with fear and has technically accepted defeat.
PDP said: “Governor Yayaha Bello is already overwhelmed and he has technically accepted defeat, especially with the triumph of Senator Hadiza Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the Kogi Central Senatoral District which is an affirmation of the popularity and acceptability of our Party in the State.
“The APC has lost its voice, that is why they are no longer campaigning in Kogi State.
“The APC is now jittery and in mortal fear of the PDP. Only this morning, the APC-led Kogi State Government denied our Party the use of the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja for our Campaign grand-finale scheduled for Thursday.
“This panic mode of the APC cannot stop our Party and the people of Kogi State. We will hold our Rally and go ahead to win the Governorship election in Kogi State on Saturday.”
On Bayelsa, the PDP said that the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, has no fighting chance in the face of the more popular candidate of the PDP, Governor Douye Diri.
The party said: “The APC Candidate, Timipre Sylva has no fighting chance in the face of the more popular candidate of the PDP. He has no message; the APC is practically dead in Bayelsa and cannot win in any Local Government of the State.”
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