Akwa Ibom State chapters of Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are engaged in exchange of words over alleged plans to rig the forthcoming elections in the state.
YPP said it has uncovered plans by Governor Udom Emmanuel to manipulate 2023 elections in the state.
But, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state described the allegations as “blatant lie and lamentations of a bitter leaf party waiting for defeat” in the state.
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Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Sunday, the state Chairman of YPP Dr Nyeneime Andy said Udom has perfected plans to rig the election in the state to favour pastor Umo Eno and play out other parties in the state.
“Sadly, this time-honoured principle of electoral freedom and fair play is under great threat in Akwa Ibom State. Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration has set in motion a process to pervert democracy in Akwa Ibom State – all in a bid to foist his stooge, Pastor Umo Eno on the people.”
YPP listed other plots by Udom to manipulate electoral processes in Akwa Ibom to include: Provision of new Hiace buses to PDP officials across 31 local government areas in the state, engagement of 70 persons in all the voting units with monthly cash remuneration of N100,000 each in all voting centres, curdling with INEC ICT staff at Government House among others.
“We have received credible intelligence that Governor Udom Emmanuel–led administration through agents of the state and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have engaged in buying of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from unsuspecting members of the public across the 31 Local Government Areas.
“They are also obtaining at least 50 VIN numbers from voters across all the 4,354 polling units in Akwa Ibom State. These emerging sharp practices reportedly go on through heavy financial inducement of the largely poor people who have been impoverished by the administration since 2015.
“Again, Governor Udom Emmanuel at the Get-together with his party at the state headquarters at Atan Offot, Uyo, announced the engagement of 70 agents in each polling unit across the 31 Local Government Areas of the State on a monthly stipend of N100,000 to each. With the 4,354 polling units that we have in Akwa Ibom, the cost implication of hiring those agents is N91,334 billion (January–March).
‘‘Isn’t this alarming? Was this amount of money appropriated for in the budget of 2023? Isn’t the Governor aware that he has no right whatsoever to expend such huge state funds for his party’s affairs?”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state said YPP should rehearse how they would cry instead of raising false alarm in the state.
The state publicity secretary of the party, Mr Borono Bassey stated this in a statement made available to journalists in Uyo on Sunday entitled “2023 Election Wailing Rehearsal Over Impending Defeat.’’
The party explained that all the claims by YPP were fictitious and false and that they lacked knowledge of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) operations in the coming election.
‘‘This singular claim clearly shows that the Chairman of YPP and his co-travellers are yet to fully acquaint themselves with the functioning of the new technology of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS).
‘‘Also, the hollow claim that Governor Emmanuel-led administration has procured and donated campaign buses to the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State is outrightly false and a poor attempt at mischief-making as it is common knowledge that such vehicles are always procured with resources from dues and goodwill donations by party members and allied organisations.
“This of course explains why these vehicles usually come late as it takes time to pull these resources together. We hereby challenge the State Chairman of YPP to show proof that Governor Udom Emmanuel had purchased and donated these vehicles to the public,” he said.
