….charges INEC, security agencies to remain neutral

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA– BARELY 24 hours to the long awaited Anambra State governorship election, the Indigenous People of Niger Delta, IPND, have tasked the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, All Progressives Congress, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and other parties on non-violence and no malpractice in the electoral process.

IPND made their position known through a statement signed by its National Spokesman, Hon Ogbonnaya Ugwu, where it also cautioned the political parties not to make use of any youth to rig and disrupt the election.

According to the statement election rigging and violence have no place in the Niger Delta region and any politician or political party that plans to rig election should have a rethink and change plans. Otherwise the IPND shall resist all such plans to rig elections and make sure that they fail.

The statement reads in part: “The Indigenous People of Niger Delta, IPND, hereby caution the the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, All Progressives Congress, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and other political parties contesting for governorship position in the coming Anambra State election to desist from all forms of electoral malpractice and violence.

“The IPND is committed to ensure that Anambra governorship election shall be free, fair and violence-free and to ensure that the votes of the people of Anambra State count in the election. Those hoping to make use of the youths for election rigging and violence shall be completely disappointed.

“As articulated in the IPND Bill of Rights Declaration 19, the Indigenous People of Niger Delta, IPND, hereby reaffirm the call byIPND and the people of Anambra State in particular to exercise our rights to vote and ensure that our votes count and also must be protected from politicians or political parties whose plans are to rig elections through electoral malpractice and violence. We want to say that election rigging and violence have no place in the Niger Delta region and any politician or political party that is planning to rig the Anambra Governorship Election should better have a rethink and change plans. Otherwise the Indigenous People of Niger Delta (IPND) shall resist all such plans to rig elections and make sure that they fail.”

Meanwhile, IPND in its statement also charged the Independent Nigeria Electoral Commission, INEC, Nigerian Police Force, sister security agencies, and non-governmental organisations that would be involved in the conduct of the election to remain neutral. Rather credible and acceptable election would be conducted, which will be in the interest of all political parties and their supporters based on violence-free election.

“We are using this opportunity to once again call on our brothers and sisters, youths in particular from the geographical Niger Delta Region and Anambra State to desist from all act of violence and they should not allow themselves to be used by selfish and greedy politicians that do not have the interest of the people at heart. There is no politician or political party with the interest of the people at heart that will resort to election rigging or violence.

“Finally we want to reaffirm the fact that the Indigenous People of Niger Delta, IPND, is not a political organization but sociopolitical organisation. Our political policy is to support politicians or political parties that share same ideology with the IPND or that develop their manifestos based on the IPND Bill of Rights Declarations.

“To this end, we are calling on our brothers and sisters from Anambra State to vote for candidates with the right education and professional qualifications with programmes and plans that support the ideology of the Anambra people to better the lives of the people and develop Anambra State generally”, the statement added.