By Odo Ogenyi,Uyo
The Young Progressive Party, YPP has accused Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom of appriopriating more than N91 billion of state government funds to pay some members of the People’s Democratic Party as inducement to help the party rig the 2023 elections.
It has also expressed shock that Emmanuel spent over N1.24 billion last week to purchase 31 Hiace Buses for the State PDP’s guber campaigns without appropriation and approval by the State House of Assembly, querring whether the state government have the right to use public and tax payers’ money to fund a single political party.
State chairman of the party, Mr Nyeneime Andy told a press conference in Uyo last weekend that the Emmanuel-led administration has set in motion a process to pervert democracy in the state in a bid to foist his stooge, Mr Umoh Eno on the people by manifesting acts of desperation and outright dictatorship by the regime.
Andy said it was alarming that the PDP led government has placed 70 persons in each of the 4,354 voting units in the state on a stpipend of N100,000 each to mop up VIN numbers of Voters Cards in the area.
“Governor Udom Emmanuel at the Get-together with his party at the state headquarters at Atan Offot, Uyo, announced the engagement of 70 agents in each polling units across the 31 Local Government Areas of the State on a monthly stipend of N100,000 to each. With the 4,354 polling units that we have in Akwa Ibom, the cost implication of hiring those agents is N91,334 billion (January – March).
“It therefore amounts to favouritism and outright abuse of office to channel the resources of the state in the pursuit of personal interest. What he has just done by using State Government funds to purchase vehicles for his party and his preferred candidate is criminally liable. We accordingly wish to draw the attention of security agencies to this malfeasance.
“Again, is it not shocking that a State that has been feigning lack of funds to pay gratuities to next of kin of late Primary Schools’ teachers and retired public servants will suddenly earmark N91,334 billion from public funds to pay PDP stalwarts? Is this the way to utilize the proceeds of the 13 % Derivation Refunds and other accruals from the Federal Government and other sundry sources – for which the citizens have been demanding accountability?
“Another disturbing issue is the state government’s interference in the processes towards 2023 elections. We say so because we have received credible intelligence that Governor Udom Emmanuel–led administration through agents of the state and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have engaged in buying of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from unsuspecting members of the public across the 31 Local Government Areas.
“They are also obtaining at least 50 VIN numbers from voters across all the 4,354 polling units in Akwa Ibom State. These emerging sharp practices reportedly go on through heavy financial inducement of the largely poor people who have been impoverished by the administration since 2015.” The chairman stated.
He also accused some local government offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conniving with the PDP while the state government’s ICT experts hobnob with some officials of the State INEC at different locations in the state calling on the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to carry out detailed investigations and bring offenders to book.
“The Young Progressives Party emphatically call for total compliance to transparency on the processes preceding the conduct of polls to ensure that nobody or any institutions, including the Udom Emmanuel–led administration, are allowed to circumvent, or disenfranchise the electorate. Election can only be seen to be successful and acceptable only when it is free, fair and transparent; before, during and after the polls.”
“The renewed hope of Nigerians is on the constant assurances given by the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu that the forthcoming elections will be free and fair and that with the services of Bimodal Voter Registration Systems (BVAS), there will be no manipulation.
“While we may not want to doubt his assurances, the ongoing development of open connivance of some officials of INEC with agents of Akwa Ibom State government has given us cause to be suspicious.” Andy concluded.
