By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

AHEAD of the February 12 Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Area Council election, the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has raised the alarm over plots by some people to scuttle the elections.

The alarm was raised by the Director of Publicity, PDP Chairmanship candidate campaign for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Emmanuel Inyang, while briefing Journalists in Abuja, Tuesday.

He claimed that intelligence report has revealed that the rulling All Progressives Congress, APC, was working to scuttle the success of the polls.

While calling on the Police and other relevant agencies of government to nip the alleged brewing trouble on the bud, to avoid any violence that could disrupt the arrangement already made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he claimed that certain governors of the ruling party had been drafted into the sinister plot.

Inyang further claimed that there are plans to import thugs from neighboring states of Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi, for the purpose of disrupting the February 12, polls.

Speaking further, he said that the relevant security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must act fast so as to gain the trust of residents and genuine electorates in the forthcoming election.

He expressed concern that should various relevant security agencies fail to stop the plot, residents and electorate may be scared away, thereby, recording a very low turnout on the day of elections.

He further alleged that plot to scuttle the success of the polls, follows the intra-party crises rocking the party which had put them at a disadvantage position.

He, however, said that the FCT elections will serve as a litmus test for the off season elections and the 2023 general election, to be conducted by INEC.

According to him, “We are happy that FCT residents are really eager to vote.

“We are aware from security report reaching us that there are group of people planning to recruit thugs to ensure that on the day of election, after voting, people come in to disrupt the process.

“We want to plead with the security agencies to ensure that security is maintained on, before and after the elections.

“We don’t want anything that will bring the level of insecurity faced in other parts of the country to manifest in the Federal Capital Territory. We are happy with the security agencies haven’t kept the peace of this land and we want the peace to continue.

“President Muhammadu Buhari needs a legacy to take home. The legacy is to ensure that there is credibility in our elections. They should ensure that FCT election is free, fair and violence free, because we are aware that some persons have already planned that there will be violence on the day of election. We are appealing to Nigerians not to be intimidated by anybody. They should come out en mass and vote for the preferred candidate.”

Also speaking, a House of Representatives member for AMAC/ Bwari constituencies, Hon. Jiba Micah said that no act of violence would be tolerated during and after the election.

Micah urged all stakeholders to comply with all the regulations already set by INEC to ensure that the elections were conducted according to international standard, upholding the tenets of democracy.