By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State, Mr. Venatius Ikem, on Wednesday faulted claims made by ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, that military personnel drafted to provide security in the concluded presidential/National Assembly elections in Cross River North aided and abetted PDP to defeat candidates of the APC.
Ikem’s reaction came on the heels of claims by the Alphonsus Eba Ogar-led APC in Cross River State, alleging that military personnel deployed to the state for the February 25, 2023 presidential/ National Assembly elections aided and abetted the PDP to rig the APC out in the senatorial election the PDP contested against the state governor, Prof Ben Ayade.
The PDP state chairman faulted the APC claims that the entire elections was militarized, describing the claim as “nothing but lies that can be contested to any extent.”
Ikem stated that the military only curbed the excesses of the political thugs recruited by the APC to unleash mayhem on the electorate, but were repelled, stressing that the APC is looking for excuses to cover up the defeat it suffered.
Ikem said, “The issue was not politicized in any way, the military were neutral and picked up anyone they suspected and we’re subsequently handed over to the police for prosecution.
“The APC would rather prefer to have a field day, where they will harass, intimidate and if possible, maim people, so that they can win elections as they did in the bye – elections and are speaking up against the presence of the military.
“The party chairman and the governor lost elections in almost every polling unit in the North, a very embarrassing loss; and they have to look for some excuse to give to sustain how a chairman/governor lost so woefully.
“In the North, their plan was violence and we have been complaining about this.
“We thank God the security apparatus of the country had taken certain flash points and in Cross River North, this prevented the APC from doing what they planned to do and that completely removed the strength they had relied on.”
The PDP state chairman stated that soldiers were not only drafted to the North, stressing that soldiers were deployed across the nation for legitimate duty to provide security in the election across Nigeria, wondering why the APC is now raising alarm about presence of soldiers to mount security at strategic points across the North senatorial district of the state.
He added, “I worked as a party agent to the PDP in my polling unit, in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State, I didn’t see any soldier coming to nose around the polling units to create fear nor intimidate the electorates.
“The APC doesn’t want soldiers around, even in strategic places as they did, so that they can unleash their thugs that they had train to unleash violence, and distrupt the electoral process.
“Besides, there was no man or woman that conducted himself in a proper manner and claimed that he or she was molested.”
