JOE EFFIONG,UYO
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to produce evidence and back up their allegation that Akwa Ibom State government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are colluding to rig the March 11 polls in favour of the PDP.
The challenge came as a reaction to a press conference earlier addressed by the state Chairman of YPP, Mr Nyeneime Andy alleging that Gov Udom Emmanuel had gone to spend hours at INEC headquarters in te state.
But in a press release captioned “2023 Election and YPP’s First Alibi for Looming Defeat” as signed by Borono Bassey, the state publicity secretary of the party, the PDP said Mr Nyeneime Andy, a pastor, was preparing soft landing for his party’s imminent failure in the March 11, 2023 election by looking for a scapegoat in the state government.
The release said; “At that press conference, the state chairman of the YPP, and general overseer of an Uyo-based church, Apostle Nyeneime Andy, strenuously broke sweat trying to pin wild and outrightly false accusations on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Governor Udom Emmanuel and the PDP; even when he knows deep in his heart that when he stands before God Almighty on judgement day, he shall be called to question on why he bore such false witnesses about the forthcoming elections, not minding that he is one who claims to be a Pastor of Church.
“It was indeed a crying shame to see the state chairman of the YPP, a party who could not win even one seat in the just concluded National Assembly election, gather the handful of their members and sit in front of the media to shamelessly blame their woeful failure on other factors other than the truth which is that Akwa Ibom people have seen through the deceits and selfishness which is the foundation of their decision to congregate as Political Party.”
“We challenge Apostle Nyeneime Andy to produce even the tiniest shred of evidence that shows that Governor Udom Emmanuel had visited INEC office on the said day, else the lying state chairman of YPP should never stand before his church to preach against the sin of lying.
“We are shocked that the ill-fated and makeshift political party – YPP, like the recently accused murderer, Uduak Akpan recently boasted, is using reverse psychology to make false accusation on the electoral umpire, INEC, our party, the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel, given that the security agencies have received several tip-off about heinous activities by known YPP chieftains ahead of the forthcoming elections.”
For instance, the PDP said there are videos showing notable YPP chieftains in the state at INEC offices in different LGAs in the state dishing out crude intimidations and making attempts to assault staff of INEC.
“We must warn that our Party will not tolerate a repeat of this kind of behaviour as we have petitioned the Security agencies to ensure that they deploy video surveillance all over the state and also apprehend Chieftain of any political party who makes effort to mar the smooth, credible and peaceful conduct of the March 11, 2023 elections.
“Again, the PDP and the Security Agencies in Nigeria are also in receipt of intelligence from even topfrom even top-ranking members of the YPP whose hearts still lie with the PDP that the YPP has ferried in thugs from neighboring states and are camping them in facilities owned by known YPP chieftains in preparation to use in executing the plan in their playbook which is to unleash unimaginable violence on voters across the State.
“On receipt of this life-threatening intelligence, we had alerted security agencies who have swung into actions to investigate and nip any chance of the execution of these atrocious plans by YPP in the bud.
“Again, we are appalled by the crass laziness exhibited by the chairman of the YPP and other chieftain of the party who asked during their press conference why INEC was yet to declare the final results of the elections into the National Assembly for Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, since a few minutes of reading the provisions of INEC guidelines for the conduct of the elections and the electoral act should have revealed to them the reason behind the commission’s action.
The PDP said as a party, they condole with the handful of members of the YPP who have been misled to undertake the futile journey of selfishness with “this makeshift party these past months.”
“We understand how painful it is for these few members to watch their state chairman whom we strongly believe had received countless revelations about the failure that awaits YPP at the polls, give them an early excuse why their party will fail again on Saturday.
“We urge millions of Akwa Ibom people to again troop out to their respective polling units and use their Permanent Voters Cards and massively vote the PDP and consequently to send a clear message to these elements who wish to drag our state backwards.
“Our party – the PDP in Akwa Ibom is permanently humbled in gratitude to the millions of Akwa Ibom people who have demonstrated their faith in our party as the most credible platform for the emergence of those to lead and represent our dear state.
“Our vow to honour our own end of the unspoken social contract we have with Akwa Ibom people remains unshaken.” ENDS