Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo: Steer Clear, PDP Warns Election Riggers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it has mobilised the people of Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States to go to every length allowed by the law to protect their votes in the Saturday governorship elections.

The party therefore cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perish any iota of thought to rig the elections in the states.

National publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba said the party will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to manipulate the electoral process in the states.

He said “anybody who attempts to rig or manipulate the election in any way may have to deal with the legitimate wrath of the people.”

Ologunagba specifically cautioned Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and the candidate, Usman Ododo, “to accept their rejection by the people for their abysmal failure in government and get ready to concede defeat on Saturday.”

He added, “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 theater 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.”

The PDP again said the delay by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to redeploy the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sylvia Agu, is heightening tension and capable of pushing the people to resort to self-help.

“We are in a democracy and INEC must respect the wishes and aspiration of the people and stakeholders in the electoral process.  The people of Imo State have spoken clearly in demanding that Prof. Agu must not participate in any capacity whatsoever in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Imo State, given her antecedents in favouring the APC in previous elections.

“The PDP is marching to victory with the people of Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo States notwithstanding the antics of the APC,” the party added.