Gov’ship Polls: Cross River PDP Cautions Police Against Compromise

Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the state police command not to compromise in tomorrow’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

The party spoke on the need to conduct peaceful and credible elections so as not to betray the confidence reposed on them by citizens of the state.

The PDP publicity secretary, Mr Mike Ojisi gave the charge while reacting to a trending police wireless report in the state.

The report which was addressed to CSP Babayola Musa, who is the commander of Rapid Response Squad RRS, charged the squad to  mobilise  its men to Cross River North and engage in domination patrols and carry out aggressive raids when need be.

Ojisi, in the PDP’s response to the report described the directive as the height of the desperation exhibited by the state governor to install his crony as successor.

“The police signal directing DPOs to send all their men to Cross River North for the governorship and House of Assembly elections and to take over patrols, stop-and-search as well as engage in aggressive raids is the height of desperation by Gov Ben Ayade to install a successor by all means.

“We state that we would not in any way be cowed or intimidate by Ayade-led Rapid Response Squad, RSS, which he has armed to win elections in the north.

“This squad is illegal and has become notorious for election rigging, intimidation and harassment of voters in Cross River north as we experienced during the PDP Senatorial primary held in Ogoja in October 4, 2020 and the Yala/Ogoja House of Representatives by-election held on February 27, 2023.

“We, therefore, call on commissioner of police in charge of elections in the state, Garba Aliyu, and the IGP to dismantle this nefarious Squad that are out to compromise the Saturday elections in the north”, Ojisi maintained.