By Odo Ogenyi Uyo
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Akwa Ibom has fired back at the Young Progressives Party, YPP, for accusing it of plot to rig the upcoming gubernatorial and State Assembly elections in the state.
It would be recalled that the state YPP Chairman, Mr Nyeneime Andy had at a press conference in Uyo on Tuesday accused the PDP of colluding with the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, in the state to rig the election.
Andy also disclosed an alleged plan by the PDP to impress on the electoral umpire to submit the original result sheets of all the units, wards and LGAs to them penultimate to election day where the election figures would be falsified.
But the PDP in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Mr Borono Bassey yesterday in Uyo said YPP was crying foul and raising false alarm having foreseen its defeat at the end of March 11 polls.
“We have read the text of the Press Conference by the Chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), wherein the Party made efforts to explain to her few members why they will again record an embarrassing outing of defeat in the March 11 Governorship and House of Assembly elections, like they suffered in the February 25th 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“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 INEC, Governor Udom Emmanuel and the PDP;
“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.” It said.
The statement also denied the allegation that Gov Udom Emmanuel was at the INEC office for many hours and challenged the YPP to provide evidence to prove the claim.
Bassey said PDP and the security agencies in Nigeria received intelligence that YPP has ferried in thugs from neighboring states and are camping them in facilities owned by known chieftains adding that the party has alerted security agencies on the matter.
