PATRICK ABANG Calabar
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has rejected the use of force to intimidate ordinary voters ahead of the Saturday’s byelections for Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State Constituency.
The State Chairman of the party, Venatius Ikem made this know in Calabar on Friday, while reacting to the planned use of force by security agencies during the byelections.
Mr. Ikem noted that the directive to deploy the army or any security agencies can only come from the the Federal Government and the political parties concerned will be adequately briefed on their operational order.
In his words, “There are legitimate ways you can deploy the army as well as illegal ways to intimidate voters.
“That directive can only come from the Chief of Army Staff and if there are reasons to deploy the Army it will be so stated.
“”We will also be briefed on the operational order outside which you cannot deploy the army”, he said.
He criticized Governor Ben Ayade, who met the Commander, 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army to solicit for deployment of the Army for the byelections.
He said the party will legitimately resist any such attempt because the army is not directly involved in elections.
He emphasized that: “while they are playing by the rules, the government in power is doing everything else to work against the rules of engagement and also create an atmosphere where they will be a breach of security so they can use the apparatus of government to intimidate the party”.
The PDP state chairman, however, noted that the PDP in the state will not allow any underhand tactics to undermine an election they are poised to win.
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