The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Thursday, raised fresh alarm over alleged plan by certain staff of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), to doctor the result of today’s council polls in some areas.
Chairman of the party in Enugu, Barr. Ben Nwoye, at a press briefing, said the APC had it on good authority that some unpopular members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were working in connivance with some ENSIEC staff to truncate the will of the people.
He, however, vowed that if such acts were carried out, the party would ensure that criminal complaints were filed against such ENSIEC staff, collaborating security personnel and politicians.
“We have it on good authority that there is last ditch effort by the ENSIEC, in connivance with some members of the PDP to rig the election.
“We want to place ENSIEC and those involved that we will criminalise complaint against them if they carry out that plan. “They are making effort to rig our places of strength, which include: Awgu, Oji-River, Udi, Aninri, Enugu-South, Enugu-East, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South, as well as Igbo-Etiti.
“They are going to seize the result sheet, cause commotion in these local government areas, ensure that there will be no election, announce the result later, and then tell us to go to court,” Nwoye alleged. He declared further that, “this high level plot will fail; we are going to resist it; security agents should be at alert. “We are highly prepared for this election; today, the national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is coming to Enugu for the grand-finale of our campaign; it is historical; it has never happened elsewhere.
“The reason is that whatever happens here on November 4 will affect what happens on November 18 in Anambra State. “So, we are law abiding, but we are going to resist any rigging plot peacefully.
We are calling on all our people to come out and vote; don’t be intimidated at all; ignore rumour mill laced with threats of terror. “All we are saying is where PDP has strength let them win and where APC has strength let them win.
“It is not like the entire PDP members are involved in this plot; it is the unpopular ones, who have outlived their usefulness, they are the ones trying to get popularity by force.
“But we are warning all those involved- the ENSIEC staff, the police, the DSS, the civil defence, that if anyone is caught, anyone who compromises will go to jail. What awaits them is criminal charge, prosecution, jail if found guilty.”