By Danzumi Ishaku
The Taraba state All Progressives Congress APC, has accused the State Government of stockpiling arms worth over 300m Naira to use the state marshal to disrupt the forthcoming general election.
The Director General of the state Governorship Campaign and President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Mr Bobboi Kaigama made the allegations on Monday while briefing journalists in Jalingo.
Kaigama said that “the party has gathered reliably that the state government has acquired arms and ammunitions worth over three hundred million Naira and has distributed same to youths at various flashpoints across the state and is mobilising the youths and the state Marshal to disrupt the forthcoming elections.
“Of course the Governor is aware that he has failed the people of the state woefully and would lose at the election and so he has resorted to the use of violence. The people of the state are fully mobilised and galvanized to resist any attempt by the state government or any other persons to temper with the mandate of the people.”
Corroborating the allegations, the Nigerian envoy to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Alh Hassan Ardo Jika said that “the attack on the governorship campaign train of the party last week gives an insight into what the PDP government in the state intends to do during the election.”
Hassan Ardo Jika said that the relevant security agencies have been alerted on the various schemes of the state government and are urged to be on top of their game to nib these in the buds to avoid a total breakdown of law and order in the state as “the people would resist any attempt to scuttle the election with determined vehemence.”
In a swift reaction however, the Senior Special Assistant on media ands publicity to Governor Darius Ishaku, Mr Bala Dan Abu described the allegations liable against the Governor as frivolous and challenged the APC “to show the exact locations where the alleged arms are stockpiled so that they can be recovered.”
Bala Dan Abu said that the “Taraba state government believes in peace and has worked hard to restore peace in the state in the last four years, bringing a paradigm shift from the situation where the state was in perpetual anarchy. For anyone to claim that the state government is stockpiling arms is ridiculous. Gov Ishaku has overwhelming acceptance and has no need for violence to win elections. On the contrary, it is the APC that is bent on stirring violence to disrupt the election. “
