The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has petitioned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega over alleged plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the upcoming elections in the state.
The petition made available to THE NICHE in Uyo and endorsed by the state party chairman Dr. Amadu Attai claimed that the party has perfected plans to use various institutions of state and their officials including corps members to falsify election results in favour of the PDP.
“Top on the list of state institutions is the NYSC. The plan is for the ad-hoc staff, armed with smart phones, to text the number of accredited voters at each polling unit to government house in Uyo where government officials will thumb print the ballot and fill out the collation sheets and the final result sheets for the elections.
“The sensitive materials like collation and final result sheets to be used in the rigging plan have been fraudulently obtained by the state government from the INEC officials in Uyo.
“Details of the plot show that once the number of accredited voters has been sent by text to government house where government operatives are waiting for the consummation of the plot, votes will be fraudulently allocated to all the political parties, with the highest number allocated to the PDP candidates.” The petition read.
It also alleged that the members of the national Youth Service Corps, NYSC to be used for the election have been bribed with N250,000 each while the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr — have refused to stay in his official quarters but has rather been a guest of the Governor at his wife’s hotel since his arrival in the state.
“On the night of Monday 23 March 2015 Governor Akpabio met with most members of the NYSC deployed to the state in government house Uyo to bribe them in support of the rigging plan. Reliable intelligence from the meeting indicates that each NYSC member was given N250,000 for his/her cooperation.
“We have information that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state has been compromised, and we therefore have deep concern about his ability to act as an impartial umpire in the coming elections. He has been the guest of the governor in his wife’s hotel, named Davoc, in Ewet Housing Estate since he reported for duty in the state.
“We have been informed that a lot more has happened between him and the state governor as to render his position suspect.” It said.
The party further alleged that the PDP has acquired buses branded in the colours of the state transport company for movement of the purchased materials and thugs while military and police uniforms have been procured for the thugs.
“We also have reliable intelligence that the state government plans to kidnap and kill top leaders of the APC in the state in the lead up to and during the elections.
“As we are speak, members of the PDP are boasting a special contingent of military personnel has been drafted from Kaduna and Bauchi states to Akwa Ibom to illegally arrest, abduct and frame up prominent APC leaders as was done in Ekiti State in June 2014.
It therefore asked amongst other things for the replacement of the NYSC members recruited for the election and the cancellation of any logistic arrangement between INEC and the state transport company, AKTC.
“We also ask that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state should be strongly cautioned and a definite instruction be given to him to call his permanent and ad-hoc staff to order. Discussion and agreement with all political parties on the use of “TAGS” to identify policemen on election duty.
“Appeal to the Director General of NYSC and parents of Youth Corps members deployed for INEC ad-hoc duties to caution their wards not to be led into the dangerous temptation by Governor Akpabio and PDP towards colluding with them to attempt to rig the elections in Akwa Ibom State.
“We hereby appeal to National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, and Director General, DSS, to call Akwa Ibom PDP and their thugs to order to avoid further bloodshed in Akwa Ibom State.” It stated.
Also copied in the petition include the Presidency, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General, DSS, the Director General, NYSC and all parents of NYSC members serving in Akwa Ibom State.
