>
Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to abandon any plans of rigging the governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States on Saturday.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, PDP said they have mobilised the people of the three states to go to every length allowed by the law to protect their votes.
He restated that the PDP will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to manipulate the electoral process in the governorship election in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States.
Ologunagba, who declared that anybody who attempts to manipulate the election will have to deal with the legitimate wrath of the people, cautioned Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to accept the decision of the people.
The opposition party also said that all indices from several entry polls indicated that the party’s candidates are leading and will sweep the governorship election in the three states.
Ologunagba warned that any electoral trajectory that does not reflect the clear tide of the will of the people at the polling units will be firmly resisted.
“Meanwhile, the PDP cautions that 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 aspirations 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 favoring 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,” he added.