Follow Us on Google
From JOE EFFIONG, UYO
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mocked the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State as a crybaby which has already started the crying rehearsal preparatory to falling the coming 2023 gubernatorial election in the state.
The YPP had addressed the press at the weekend and accused Gov Udom Emmanuel of using the state fund to buy 31 Hiace buses “costing well over N1.24billion to State PDP for Pastor Umo Eno Campaigns.”
The party has also alleged that the governor had announced the employment of 70 agents of the PDP in each of the 4354 polling units in the state for the 2023 election, stressing that with each of the agents receiving N100,000 a month from January till March, the state shall have lost a total of N91,334 billion to the agents’ salaries.
According to the YPP, whose press text was read by its state chairman, Apostle Nyenime Andy, the PDP in the state is busy buying PVC from unsuspecting members of the public even as its buses are used by INEC officials to distribute PVCs to the new registrants.
But responding to the series of allegations, the PDP through its state publicity secretary, Borono Bassey, in a press released titled; “2023 Elections and YPP’s Wailing Rehearsal Over Impending Defeat” said the “the leadership of Bitter-leaf wielding Political Party – the Young Progressives Party, came to the public domain to perform a “Microphone Check” in preparation for the orchestra of tears arising from the impending electoral defeat which lies in wait for them during the forthcoming general elections.”
The PDP said, to have claimed that the state government was secretly buying PVCs “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).”
“Even Akwa Ibom Children who know the first thing about technology will be quick to explain that the BVAS which will be deployed during the forthcoming elections works by combining fingerprint and face biometrics for identity verification of voters which automatically makes buying of PVCs utterly useless. Quite disappointing!
“On the empty allegation that Governor Udom Emmanuel has procured vehicles, we challenge the purveyors of this blatant falsehood to bring even the tiniest shred of evidence to support their claim on this matter to the public domain.
“The incontrovertible truth is that Pastor Umo Eno has been an accomplished businessman who has shown overtime that he can afford the basic necessities of life. For a man who has patriotically yielded himself to the task of leading an era of collective prosperity for our people beginning from this year, Pastor Umo Eno will be coming to the job of Governing our State with the tripartite core values of Competence, Character and Capacity.
“The growing and overwhelming acceptance and admiration that Akwa Ibomites have for Pastor Umo Eno we can wager, stems from their understanding of the enticing carefully laid-out blueprint he has put together to drive people-centric sectoral transformation beginning from May this year.” The PDP said.
It equally described it as blatant falsehood the allegations about the purchase of 31 buses and employment of 70 agents per polling unit, arguing that Governor Udom Emmanuel clearly understands that there is an anti-graft agency that can spot and prosecute him for misappropriation of state resources if he attempts to engage in such an act.
“Our Party the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom hereby warns members of this retrogressive brigade early enough that Akwa Ibomites will tolerate issue-based engagements only in the remaining days leading to when our people shall overwhelming vote to elect Pastor Umo Eno and even through the years he shall hold the rein as Governor.”
