Election: PDP worried over Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom |

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) has expressed apprehension over its electoral
victories in Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom States, as
the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenges the
results at the tribunals.
At a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, PDP’s
National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said
it’s worrisome that even in victory, the APC has
remained desperate in the desire to be in total control
of the polity by attempting to take over the states
genuinely won by the PDP.
“You will recall that we had earlier alerted Nigerians
to a groundswell of plots by the APC to foist a one
party rule in our country by attempting to destabilise
the PDP, take over some of our states and legislative
seats, all to ensure that there is no strong opposition
when they eventually assume power.
“As we speak, APC has resorted to instigating crisis,
inciting the people while mobilising resources to arm-
twist the judiciary, ostensibly to torpedo the will of
the people in these states.
“In particular, our findings show that in Delta, Rivers
and Akwa-Ibom States, the APC machinery is
working round the clock to ensure that it upturned the
victory of the PDP and the mandate freely given to us
by the people in these states,” Metuh said.
The party claimed to be aware of clandestine moves
by the APC to procure and compromise some
stakeholders in the elections, including the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
and security personnel to bear false witness and
doctor electoral materials against the PDP at the
tribunal.
“This is in addition to sponsoring negative
publications in some section of the media, laced with
false claims and distortion of election figures to suit
their nefarious plans of swaying public opinion and
the course of justice against our party in these
states.
“We know that the main aim behind APC’s
desperation to take over these three states is their
belief that they are strategic to the PDP and that
taking them away will further weaken and undermine
our party and accelerate the quest for a one-party
state in our country.
“However, the PDP wishes to state in very clear
terms that we will not accept any attempt by anybody
whatsoever, especially the APC to manipulate the
process and rob us of our clear victories in these
states or any other state for that matter,” Metuh
added.
The party warned the APC not to take its civility,
“driven by patriotic zeal” for peace, unity and
harmony in the country for granted, adding that its
members across the country were willing and ready
to defend the party’s mandate in the three states,
using all available instruments within the ambit of the
law.
Metuh continued: “As a party that has made history
by nurturing democracy for 16 years, and elevating it
to a standard appreciated by the democratic
community the world over, we cannot fold our hands
and watch while the gains are being undermined by
the APC and its agents.
“It is on this note that the PDP draws the attention of
the judiciary, INEC and security authorities to the
heinous scheme by the APC to drag their institution
and men into these criminal plots.
“In view of the above therefore, we urge these
institutions to closely monitor its officials involved in
the elections and do everything within the law to
safeguard their reputation against the acts of a few
greedy and dubious individuals.
“Finally, while we note that the APC should be held
responsible should there be any breakdown of law
and order in Rivers, Delta and Akwa-Ibom States,
we charge the people not to relent but to stand up
and defend their mandates and use all means
allowed by the law to ensure that their will,
expressed through the ballot box is not thwarted by
desperate and greedy enemies of democracy.”