PDP accuses APC, Police of connivance to manipulate the election
– PDP said APC has connived with the security operatives to arrest its coordinators
– PDP has accused the APC of conniving with the police and other security operatives of plot to manipulate the process to favour of the later
The two main contenders for the Benue south senatorial seat. David Mark and Daniel Onjeh
Ahead of the February 20, 2016 rerun election for Benue South Senatorial zone , the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) of conniving with the police and other security operatives of plot to manipulate the process to favour the latter.
The PDP in a petition to the police command alleged that the APC has connived with the security operatives to arrest its coordinators and supporters on trumped up charges of Sundry crimes in order to put them out of circulation until the election is over.
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Benue state PDP Chairman Dr. Emmanuel Agbo in a petition to state Commissioner of Police in Makurdi and copied the Inspector General of Police (IGP) stated that “unfolding events have shown that there is a carefully orchestrated plot by chieftains of the APC to illegally use some police officers to effectively inhibit the legitimate rights of the PDP to campaign for votes from the electorate.
The plot, he said involves targeting PDP principal campaign coordinators and supporters on trumped -up allegations of sundry crimes.
The PDP boss added that a detachment of officers and men of the Nigeria Police drawn from the Benue state Command headquarters, Makurdi has been invading the homes of PDP campaign coordinators and supporters with a view to arresting and putting them out of circulation until the election is over .
According to Dr. Agbo, three of his party coordinators: Gabriel Roberts, Ogbole Ada and Ocheikwu Umapiya have already been picked and detained while the police are presently on the trail of: James Ogaba Oche, Victor Ikape and Joseph Atokaa.
The ugly development, he pointed out “is obviously to cow PDP coordinators and supporters and pave the way for an unprecedented manipulation of the election by the APC.
“We deplore this unlawful use to which the police is being put. This unwarranted and odious use of the police by the APC is stoking political tension and heating up the polity unnecessarily. This is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it any more.
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“We are of the view that elections must not be a do or die affair in which a force like the police which ought to maintain strict political neutrality is manipulated to achieve a partisan advantage for one of the parties.
“Our people are resolute and even the blind man knows that the PDP is the party for Benue South.”
He therefore urged the Police and other Security Authorities to use their good offices to restrain their officers and men who are presently being used to carry out this nefarious purpose.
MEanwhile, Rivers state governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that his administration will support the conduct of free and fair legislative rerun elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.
The governor, however, stated that the people of the state will resist any attempt to rig the forthcoming rerun elections with the aim of subverting the will of the people.
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