Godwin Otang
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River has raised the alarm on plans by the Police Command and the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to compromise the Governorship election in the state on Saturday March-18.
This is contained in a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Party in Cross River, Mr Mike Ogisi, who hinted at the alleged rigging plans.
“We have it on good authority that arrangements have been concluded to use the Police to compromise the governorship election in the state.
“The plans to disenfranchise many Cross Riverians, cause chaos in our strongholds, and put some of our leaders out of circulation with Police playing a critical role of providing cover for all these harmful activities were perfected this evening in a meeting with the governor.
Ogisi said that the plans were perfected on Wednesday evening when the Commissioner in charge of elections in the state, Garba Aliyu in company with other officers met with Governor Ben Ayade.
According to him, information available to the party leadership said Ayade had offered the Commissioner a mouth-watering amount to execute the plans.
He disclosed that part of the plan is to cause a crisis in their strongholds and also used the boys that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has assembled to disenfranchise the people in selected parts of the state.
He further alleged that several chieftains of the party had been pencilled down for arrest between Thursday and Friday as part of a plan to keep them out of circulation until after the elections.
“Aside from the Commissioner, others in the meeting were Garba Aliyu, CP Umar Madaki, in charge of Central, and CP Stanley Ude, in charge of Southern Cross River.
“Others are: DCP Hayatu Shaff, DCP Aboki Danjuma, DCP Uche Adaku, and ACP Yusuf Doki. They arrived in Calabar today and were picked up at the Airport by Asuquo Ekpenyong Jne, Senator-Elect, who drove them straight to Government House where they met with Ayade.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Cross River state Police Command, SP Irene Ugbo has debunked such plans but however confirmed the CP’s meeting.
She noted that the meeting was not exclusively for the Police but with other security agencies for the election. According to her, “The meeting is basically to strategize on the election in the area of security.
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