Stay away from Ekiti, PDP tells APC govs

The Peoples Democratic Party, Ekiti chapter, has warned the 16 Governors of the All Progressives Congress to stay away from Ekiti State during the June 21 governorship election. The party, which, assured that the people of the state will resist any attempts to rig the election, also raised the alarm over alleged plot by the APC to use fake policemen and soldiers to rig the election. The PDP also accused the ruling party in the state of having brought thugs into the state from the South West and South South states. To perfect the plot, the PDP said the 16 APC governors will be distributed across the 16 Local Governments in the state in order to use their security details to have a field day. Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the Minister-Designate from Ekiti, Segun Adeyeye, said the thugs that will be used for the plot were already scattered across the state while some were lodged in the government house. He said, “A lot of these guys are going to disguise as policemen and military men. Uniforms have already been sewn.” But the APC has described the allegation of the PDP as “reversed psychology”. The State Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Segun Dipe, said the allegation represented what the PDP was planning. He said, “We know that Fayose cannot win election without using thugs. We are aware that they have started bringing in thugs in trickles. Fayemi is not known among thugs but among the enlightened people of Ekiti State and human rights community, and those people hate thugs. “They are trying to draw the attention of security agents away from their evils. Fayemi will not soil his name because of election. We want to assure you that thugs will not have a place in the election, it is going to be one man, one vote.” Adeyeye, who urged the security agencies to storm the government house to ransack the place also accused the APC of printing fake ballot papers that will be used at fake polling units in the state. Besides, he said, the Independnet National Electoral Commission had not done enough to plug avenue for electoral fraud. “We are not satisfied with their body language neither are we satisfied by the conduct of the police. We don’t want strange people coming here. We also have governors, we see no reasons why APC will want to invade here with their governors. “We have it on good authority that government has purchased cutlasses and distributed to them already. “As we speak we don’t have confidence in law enforcement agencies. The government house is used to shield criminals. The police have been widely fair to them. They have been unduly protective of them. But we will not resort to self help. We will continue to trust on their (Police) ability to do the job. But the Police on Monday warned that any individual or group who accepted to work either as fake policemen or soldiers for politicians in the poll will be dealt with. The Ekiti State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Victor Babayemi, gave the warning at a public enlightenment programme in Ado-Ekiti on Monday. Babayemi reminded politicians and public office holders of a section of the Electoral Laws which forbids them from moving about with security agents or other personal aides on the polling day. He also warned them against distributing money or gift items at anywhere near the polling booths, as doing so would make them liable to the offence of campaigning and soliciting for votes on the day of the election. On how to recognize a fake police officer or soldier, he disclosed that all those deployed had been giving special identification tag as well as Election Duty Permit, in addition to their service identification cards which they are expected to hang on their chest.