By Orkula Shaagee, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, raised the alarm over alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to unleash violence and rig the rerun election in Essien Udim Local Government of Akwa Ibom State slated for Saturday.

PDP alleged that a serving Minister had compromised the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, deployed to oversee the election.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP alleged that the DIG would deploy policemen who would be used to rig the election.

According to Ologbondiyan, the serving Minister was plotting to also redeploy the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Residence Electoral Commissioner, Mike Iginni from the state.

“We already have intelligence on how a serving minister on President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet has allegedly compromised a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police to deploy policemen to invade the local government, unleash unbridle violence and manipulate the electoral process in favour of the APC.

“The said DIG allegedly promised the minister that with proper funding he will do the same thing that was done in Bayelsa in favour of the APC during the November 17, 2019 governorship election.

“As part of the strategy, the DIG reportedly promised to deploy a more senior police Commissioner than the one in Akwa Ibom State to take charge of the command of policemen posted for the election in the local government area and that when that senior police commissioner comes even the State Police Commissioner will be under his command.

“The plot, which is being heavily funded by the serving minister, also seeks to transfer the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mike Iginni and replace him with a pliable and already compromised official.

“This is to be carried out even when there is a subsisting order of the FCT High Court restraining the redeployment of Mr. Mike Igini from Akwa Ibom State pending the determination of the case which is still pending.

“Our party invites Nigerians to note the desperation of the serving minister to throw Akwa Ibom State into a needless crisis because he has realized that the people at the grassroot have rejected the APC and that there is no way the APC can win in any free, fair and credible election.

“We are concerned about the plot to deploy huge number of policemen into a local government and put them under the control of such an officer as a DIG is extremely suspect, as past experiences across the nation had shown that such deployments to violent confrontations, killings, maiming and massive intimidations of voters that only aid election riggers and other anti-democratic forces to compromise electoral processes.

“Our party is worried because there is no way the people of Essien Udim Local Government as well as Akwa Ibom State in general, will sit by, fold their hands and watch compromised security agents invading their communities to rig elections for any desperate politician, without a corresponding resistance.

“Any attempt by the APC to invade the local government to rig this election will indeed attract dire consequences,” the statement reads.

PDP also called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to avert an imminent crisis by immediately reining in his DIG from going ahead with this ignoble mission as the police will be held responsible for any death or mayhem arising from this re-run election in Akwa Ibom State.