The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State chapter, has categorically warned Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration against any plot or attempt to attack Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Ideato Federal Constituency and spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, for exposing alleged fraud in the voter’s register of the governor’s Omuma ward in Oru West LGA.
In a statement issued weekend in Owerri by Mr Collins Opuruzor, the state publicity secretary of PDP, the party expressed regret that instead of bowing his head in shame over the recent discovery of unprecedented voters’ register fraud in his hometown, the Governor has rather resorted to threat and blackmail against the PDP candidate.
Opuruzor declared that the response of the State Government to the CUPP’s revelation, as contained in the recent statement by Imo State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Delan Emelumba, clearly “betrayed the Imo State Government’s intention to attack and possibly eliminate Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.”
His words, “Apart from recommending that Ikenga Ugochinyere should be jailed for displaying such patriotism that has never been seen in modern Nigeria, Governor Hope Uzodinma further sought to drag our candidate into the insecurity miasma in Imo State.
“What is pressing to quickly state is that, by yet again politicizing the horrible security situation in Imo and attempting to bring our candidate into it, our suspicion is further enriched, that the bloodshed in parts of Imo is willfully left to fester by the Governor so as to profit from it and destroy his perceived political foes.
“Imo PDP, therefore, warns that no attack, threat or harassment of Ikenga Ugochinyere by the failed regime of APC in Imo State will be tolerated. Not a single hair shall fall from his head, not a scratch found on his body.
“For Imo PDP, it is sheer audacity in criminality for the Governor to still find his voice to issue threats when by now he is supposed to be telling Nigerians his role in this treasonable offence which seeks to truncate our democracy.
Declaring the party’s support for its candidate, Opuruzor further stated, “We commend the shrewdness and dexterity brought to bear by our candidate in exposing the monumental electoral malfeasance, and we are deeply elated that Nigerians and lovers of democracy all over the world are in sync with us in our demand for justice to be done in this matter and perpetrators of this sleaze brought to book.
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“Nigerians must rise to defend our democracy. They must no longer sit back and watch Governor Uzodinma sabotage all the efforts made to advance the frontiers of democracy in the country through groundbreaking electoral reforms. What has happened with the compromise of the voters’ register is pure treason, and it must be known and treated as such.
The main opposition party in the state, therefore, called on security agencies to immediately place the Governor on a security watchlist and commence painstaking investigations into his activities, saying he has become a clear and present danger to democracy and national security.
While recalling that Governor Uzodimma had some time ago boasted publicly that he came to power in Imo through the backdoor, or what he termed “The Ben Johnson Way,” the Imo PDP, therefore, urged Nigerians to resist Uzodinma’s latest contrivances to return to power through the same backdoor.
“To be sure, some INEC officials and security operatives, who are in bed with Uzodinma, must be wary and realize they are enabling a man who is determined to destroy the soul of our democracy.
“Our charge to INEC in the meantime is to understand that this matter touches on the sanctity, integrity and credibility of our electoral system and that the world is watching to see how the electoral umpire will clean up the mess,” he concluded.
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