By Abasi Ita, Calabar
The People Democratic Party PDP in Cross River State has implored President Buhari to ensure adequate deployment of security forces especially the military to the state to avert the looming bloodbath likely to emanate from the disruption of smooth Governorship and House of Assembly Elections billed for Saturday March 18
The State Chairman of the PDP Barrister Vena Ikem who stated this in Calabar while addressing journalists in Calabar contented that the prevailing security breaches orchestrated by thugs and gun- welding members of the All Progressives Congress APC across the state demanded stringent security measures to safeguard lives and property
According to Vena, “the compromising posture exhibited by the Police Command in our State in recent times as demonstrated by DCP Francis Idu has destroyed our confidence in the capacity of the Police to provide an enabling environment for a free, fair and peaceful election”
“Can you imagine that despite the avalanche of attacks on our supporters including the destruction of their property and businesses across the state, the Police have neither arrested nor charged any suspect to court even after the victims listed the perpetrators of the heinous crime”
“The Police is equally in silence mode over the arrest of some APC stalwarts notable the state Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Goddy Etta and former Yakuur Chairman Mr. Ubi Etta who were arrested with guns and ammunition by the DSS on the election day”
The party boss revealed that ” the antagonistic disposition of the APC in Cross River towards the presence of the military around the streets during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections showcase their nefarious intentions to unleash violence, disrupt the electoral process to pave way for activation of their rigging agenda”
“It is not surprising that the APC is ranting and crying fowl over the presence of soldiers on the streets during the last elections. Well, their lamentations to say the least understandable because the military effectively frustrated them from replicating the havoc unleashed on our people during the Ogoja Yala Bye Election”
Barrister Ikem cautioned the Police Command in Cross River against double standard noting the tacit support to the APC intended to please Governor Ayade for whatever reasons has given impetus to APC thugs to escalate the frightening orgy of violence around Cross River State
In his remarks, the PDP Governorship Candidate Senator Sandy Onor averred that ” the hues and cries of the APC over the professional conduct of the Military at last elections is mischievous, it’s a gimmick meant to weaken the security architecture of the election to pave way for avoidable bloodbath and massive rigging”
It could be recalled the hierarchy of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC led by the State Chairman Mr. Alphonso Eba has vehemently expressed opposition to the deployment of soldiers to the state arguing that the presence of the military scared away intending voters from exercising their franchise.
Eba had lamented that it was unconstitutional for the military to usurp the constitutional role of the Police officers election duty while
advocating for the prompt reversal of the directive
