‘INEC Fanning Embers of Ethnicity, Mutual Suspicion, Hatred in Kogi’

The Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State on Wednesday encouraged its party leaders, elders, stakeholders, members, affiliate organisations and supporters to resist alleged plans by the state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate the outcome of the upcoming elections.

The party alleged that the state INEC led by Prof. James Akpam, is planning to manipulate the election by stroking the embers of ethnicity, mutual suspicion and hate in the state ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to a statement issued by the campaign council and signed by its

Head of Media and Publicity, Usman, Austin Okai, already, there is palpable tension in the state “as Kogi people are concerned about the actual intentions of Akpam whom the people already know to be a man of very little character and pedigree.”

The statement further noted that “in the last 24 hours, veritable evidence and empirical proof have emerged which lend full credence to our initial submission about the consummation of an unwholesome transaction between the Governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Akpam, to accept a list of over 200 names to be enlisted as ad-hoc staff of the electoral umpire from the state governor after receiving N10million and some sacks of local rice.”

The presidential campaign council of the PDP in the state “hereby confirms without fear of contradiction that the identity of individuals who make up this list have been finally revealed alongside their full addresses in Okene, Okengwe, Ageva, Ajaokuta, Ejule, Ihima, Idu and Adavi just to list a few.

“Whereas this council is uninterested in their numeric strength because they will meet their match in the dogged and determined people of the state on February 16, we strongly note and take exception to the fact that every single individual on the list is a member of a particular ethnic group domiciled in the state.”

The campaign council added that it is unperturbed about the ethnic nationality of individuals on the list, “but note the grave implications it will have on the peaceful coexistence and tranquility of the state because already, mutual suspicion, distrust and other forms of dichotomy which the past governments of the PDP worked hard to bury have risen to an all-time high since information emerged about this new development.”

The council stated further that it “recognizes that the agents of destabilisation are only clutching on straw. We note that they have activated their panic mode otherwise there will be no need to hijack the recruitment of ad-hoc staff for the purpose of padding the list with individuals from just one ethnic stock over whom they have absolute control.”