The Young Progressives Party, YPP has urged the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Directorate of Defence Intelligence (DDI) and the International Observers to investigate what it described as an “electoral misdemeanour” going on in Akwa Ibom State ahead of the February/March general election.

Speaking to journalists at a press conference, the YPP state chairman, Nyeneime Andy alleged that agents of the Peoples Democratic Party in collusion with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC were neck deep into the purchase of Permanent Voter Cards from unsuspecting members of the public to rig the elections.

He claimed that INEC in the state discarded the names of those who applied in the online recruitment of Adhoc staff and used the list directly sent by the state government which according to him were names of beneficiaries of Governor Udom Emmanuel’sEntrepreneurship Ibom 3000 project.

Andy also expressed worry about the suspected affinity between the INEC’s Head of ICT whom he claimed is currently working with the agents of Governor Udom Emmanuel –led administration and his party, the PDP.

The Chairman listed the alleged activities he saw as “misdemeanor” going on in the state to include: Purchase of PVCs from unsuspecting members of the public across the 31 LGAs, Obtaining of VIN numbers from voters across all the 4,354 polling units in state; Relocation of INEC to apartments of the State Government in the guise of renovations.

Others are; PDP buses ferrying INEC’s officials for the distribution of PVCs throughout the state, and the State Government’s ICT experts hobnobbing with some officials of the State INEC.

The statement read in parts, “we call on the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Directorate of Defence Intelligence (DMI), the International Observers and the Embassies in Nigeria to take a curious interest in the unfolding electoral misdemeanours in Akwa Ibom State. We insist that this should be thoroughly investigated to bring the perpetrators to book.

“Accordingly, it becomes very expedient for the State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC to tell us and other politicalparties, nay the public, why these undemocratic and reprehensible underhand deals are happening right before his eyes without any punitive action or prosecution whatsoever.”

“If INEC in Akwa Ibom State goes into this kind of open collusion to rig the forthcoming elections, then the exercise cannot be called election but imposition. It is certainly not INEC with all the repeated assurances of its National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, of free and fair elections that should be involved in these evil plots against the electorate of Akwa Ibom State, who earnestly desire to freely choose who they want as their Governor on March 11, 2023 as well as other candidates.

The Chairman, however, urged INEC to come out clean to earn the trust and confidence of the participating political parties, the electorate, the security agencies and the global community in general in the forthcoming elections.

When contacted, the Public Affairs Officer of INEC, Ekom Umoh dismissed the allegations saying they were unfounded.

He challenged YPP to come up with evidence as the Commission was willing to investigate, arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable.

“All these allegations are false. If they have evidence, let them bring it, we will investigate.”
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