The governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia state Prof Gregory Ibe has charged the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) not to leave any stone unturned in ensuring the sanctity of the forthcoming guber and house of assembly elections.
Speaking in reaction to the revelation of an alleged plot by some parties in the state to rig the election by destabilizing BVAS machines in order to compromise the balloting process, Prof Ibe charged INEC to ensure strict compliance with every operative guideline.
According to him, ” I have received reliable intel that agents of other parties in the state, including PDP and APC have perfected plans to collaborate with INEC adhoc staff deployed to Abia to destabilize BVAS machines assigned to the state and thereby compromise the process. Let me therefore charge INEC to do everything to protect the sanctity of the exercise by ensuring strict compliance with all operative guidelines”.
Responding to a question, Prof Ibe condemned the reported case of threats to resort to violence by agents of PDP and enjoined security agents to defuse the tension created by the breach in order to ensure massive turnout of voters for the governorship and house of assembly elections.
In his words,”Against the backdrop of videos presently trending online issued by agents of PDP threatening the current peace we are enjoying in Abia state, I want to charge law enforcement agents to apprehend and prosecute anyone endangering the orderly conduct of the forthcoming election. At the same time let me warn all political actors to play by the rules. Abians are tired of the old politics of harassment, intimidation and parochialism, and are now ready to resist any attempt to compromise the process”.
He used the occassion to appreciate God for his recent victory in the supreme court over Gen. Ijioma, stating that having recorded comprehensive victory over all three of his contenders both at the polls and several courts, the coast is now clear for his outright triumph at the guber election.