The
All Progressives Congress has accused the Peoples Democratic Party of
using security agents to intimidate voters. It also alleged that the
party prevented voting materials from reaching polling units in
opposition strongholds during Saturday’s bye-election in Delta Central
Senatorial District.
In a statement issued in Lagos on
Saturday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed,
the party said reports from its agents on the field indicated that armed
soldiers and policemen were deployed strategically to intimidate
voters, while trailers and tankers were used to block the roads leading
to the opposition strongholds, thereby preventing voting materials from
reaching there.
He said, “Worst-hit areas were
Ughelli-North; Udu and Uvwie Local Governments, which are the
strongholds of the APC. Also, several Hilux vehicles loaded with armed
soldiers were sent to Okpe Local Government Ward 8 Collation Centre
since Friday night.
“Though materials were moved from the
distribution centre to local government headquarters overnight, the PDP,
using security agents and thugs, have succeeded in ensuring that the
materials were not ferried to polling units in several wards.
“In Sapele Ward 8, security agents even
beat up voters, even before the start of accreditation, thus scaring
them away from polling units. In Udu LG Ward 7, election materials were
seized by thugs. These strategies were all aimed at scaring away voters
and suppressing votes in opposition strongholds.”
He also accused the INEC official in
Ughelli-South of insisting that 19 booklets of ballot papers and 197
loose sheets (ballot papers) be given to the Jeremy Ward 2 of the Delta
State Deputy Governor, even after materials had been shared to all the
wards, including Jeremy Ward 2.
He alleged that if the INEC official had his way, the extra materials would have been abused by the PDP.
But in his response, the National
Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Olisa Metuh, dismissed the
allegation and said the by-election was free and fair.
He said, “We will not react to serial
losers. Whenever they lose, they resort to propaganda and violence. They
are a frustrated opposition. It was a free and fair contest. Why are
they complaining?”
Culled from Punchng
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