The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has revealed a plot by one of the major political parties to disrupt the March 11 governorship and state house of Assembly elections in Ebonyi.
The Director General (DG) of the PDP Governorship Campaign Council (GCC), Chief Austin Edeze, who did not name the party, stated this during a press conference on Sunday in Anakaliki.
Edeze alleged that the party had procured and distributed over 1,500 AK-47 rifles to its agents to cause mayhem and guarantee its victory in the March 11 elections in the state.
The DG further alleged that the guns were distributed four per ward across the 171 wards in the state as they were prepared to do whatever it takes to secure electoral victory against all odds.
He, therefore, called on the security agencies in the state to step in and mop up illegal arms and ammunition in the hands of hoodlums and other unlicensed persons in the state ahead of the polls.
Edeze emphasized that PDP was robbed of its presidential victory in the state and would not allow such to repeat itself in the governorship election.
“Having been robbed, I’m not sure we will be robbed again. We are aware that a certain political party, out of fear of losing the election and sheer desperation, has shared AK-47 rifles in the 171 wards in the state.
“You can imagine how many we have in each ward. We have over 1,500 AK 47 rifles waiting to be used in the next election.
“We will not be silent. We shall protect our votes and we shall win. The PDP governorship candidate will come out victorious in the March l1 election,” Edeze said.
“We are calling on police, the State Security Service (SSS), the army, and other security agencies to guarantee the safety of the voters and the sanctity of the ballot in the March 11 election,” the party said.
On the alleged killing of Mr. Ozoemena Nkwuda, a PDP supporter, and a serving corps member at a polling unit in Izzi Local Government Area of the state by suspected political thugs during the last presidential election, the DG urged the police to fish out the killers and bring them to justice.