Allegation blatant falsehood — APC

By Chinonso Alozie – Owerri

The Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tuesday, alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has unleashed violence on leaders of the PDP and is plotting to abduct some of their leaders ahead of the Ngor Okpala by-election scheduled for Saturday.

The state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Emenike Nmeregini made this known to newsmen in Owerri.

PDP raised the alarm, saying that the APC sent their thugs to cause havoc at a PDP rally in Ntu community in Ngor-Okpala, last Monday.

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To this extent, the PDP said it has called the security agencies and international communities to come and monitor the happenings in Saturday’s Ngor Okpala bye-election.

According to PDP, “The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has observed a plot by the APC-led administration to disrupt voting in polling units across Ngor-Okpala, by stationing ten hoodlums per pooling unit, to perfect their plans of rigging the election.

Also exposed is APC’s plan to arrest and whisk away notable PDP leaders in the local government area just to ensure no one stands on their way to rigging the state constituency bye-election slated for Saturday in Ngor Okpala.

“The APC in Imo, realizing how unpopular it is and that it cannot win any peacefully conducted election, has now resorted to violence. The party candidate on Monday, 21st February 2022 unleashed havoc on PDP supporters using hoodlums and militia men and dispersed a PDP rally in the Ntu Community in Ngor-Okpala. They threatened to maim anybody who dares to attend the rally. But of course, Ntu people resisted them and came out in their hundreds.

“The PDP notes with dismay the desperate move by Uzodimma to give ten bags of rice to each polling unit to entice the voters.  We, therefore, condemn vote buying and undue inducement of voters in Ngor Okpala.

Unfortunately, the APC government which brought untold hardship to lmo people is trying to use food as bait to catch votes. Ngor Okpala people are proud and hardworking, so their conscience cannot be bought with mere rice.

“Imo PDP, therefore, wishes to use this medium to alert the security agencies in the state of the atrocities the APC plans to perpetuate in Ngor-Okpala and calls on them to move in and ensure a hitch-free election and the security of lives and property of the people.

The PDP also uses this medium to call on the international community, civil society organisations and all lovers of peace and democracy to be at alert as APC plans to subvert the wishes of Ngor-Okpala people on Saturday, 26th February 2022,” PDP said.

When Vanguard called the APC State Publicity Secretary, Cajetan Duke, he said he was in a meeting and would call back.

But reacting to the development, the Imo State Government rubbished the claim by the PDP.

A statement by Declan Emelumba, Commissioner for Information and Strategy,  Imo State said: “The PDP’s  Claim that Governor Hope Uzodimma is giving 10 bags of rice to each polling unit for the bye-election is an absurd baseless and complete falsehood, coming from a sinking party that foresees defeat on Saturday.

“The PDP knows that it will lose the bye-election, hence it is looking for an alibi. Governor Hope Uzodimma is a democrat who believes that people will always freely choose who they want in an election unhindered. He will never subscribe to vote-buying.

“At any rate, Ngor-Okpala people are sufficiently enlightened not to return an irresponsible party that abandoned their seat in the house of Assembly for two years, to the same House. The PDP should cover its face in shame and apologise to Ngor-Okpala people for treating them with utmost disrespect and disdain.”

Vanguard News Nigeria