Less than 24 hours to the bye election in Ovia Federal Constituency and Edo Central Senatorial District into the National Assembly, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm on the alleged plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the elections.
In a press statement, Tony Aziegbemi, the chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in the state raised the alarm, while alerting the people of the state, the security agencies and the international community to the plot.
He said: “Credible intelligence at our disposal shows a multi pronged plan involving the inducement of voters with cash, the smuggling of pre-written result sheets into collation centres with the active collusion of compromised INEC officials, and the use of the police to unlawfully deny duly accredited PDP agents access to collation centres.
“In addition, we have uncovered plans to unleash armed thugs to violently disrupt voting in known PDP strongholds.
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“We note with grave concern that Governor Monday Okpebholo and APC chieftains, notably Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, have effectively invaded Edo State to personally supervise and coordinate this assault on democracy.
“This brazen move is aimed at producing a violent and manipulated outcome that bears no resemblance to the true will of the people.
“Democracy is about the will of the people freely expressed at the ballot box, not the will of desperate politicians imposed at gunpoint.
“We strongly condemn this reckless descent into electoral banditry and warn that the people of Edo State will not allow their mandate to be stolen through fear, intimidation, and manufactured results.”
The party called on President Tinubu “to make an unambiguous public declaration directing all security agencies to resist partisan manipulation and to act in strict neutrality.
“The security forces must not, in any form, become the armed wing of the APC in Edo State.”
Aziegbemi affirmed that the PDP has “directed all its members, supporters, and well meaning citizens to stand firm, resist these undemocratic elements, and protect their votes by all and any means necessary permitted by law.
“The days of sitting idly by while political buccaneers steal the ballot are over.”
