ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Labour Party in Enugu State has alleged plots by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State to buy 100 votes in each of the polling booths to frustrate the presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
The Labour Party also claimed that the PDP is gathering their voter’s card details and collecting voters cards from some with the promise to pay them 5000 Naira every month till election.
“For a state with poverty rate standing at 58.13 per cent, they expect that it would be very easy for them to succeed”?
“Just last month the trend was violent attacks on Labour Party faithful and offices . Thereafter they started “buying “ young members of Labour Party with fake appointments and N30,000 stipend”, they further claimed.
In a statement signed by the Oji River LGA party Chairman, Dr. Mc Ginger Ibeneme, the party alleged calculated efforts to frustrate the LP Presidential Candidate Peter Obi at the polls.
“First we saw the name of one Tobi Okechukwu, (someone that has been in the Federal House of Representatives for 12 years, and lost PDP primaries) as the Labour Party candidate for Oji River / Awgu / Aninri federal constituency. We know Mr Okechukwu as a core cabal member of Enugu State PDP cartel .
“While we were still trying to digest and understand the strange development, same Tobi Okechukwu purportedly did a press release to announce that he was “rejecting “ the ticket .
“These crooked acts have left us with more questions and confusion .
“How did Mr Okechukwu end up in Labour Party ticket ? Why is he rejecting it ? Can Okechukwu claim to be ignorant of what transpired or was this another grand plan by the PDP to destroy opposition tickets just to pave way for their candidate to go solo.
“Strangely APC ticket in the same constituency is embroiled in similar controversy that could potentially cancel it out . PDP is also likely the sponsor of that strange development.
“PDP has governed Enugu State since 1999, with total revenue of close to 10 Trillion Naira in 24 years . What we have is extreme poverty , with more than half of the population living below $2 per day, and total collapse of infrastructure.
“All the past governors and the current one, all PDP, have borrowed over N50 billion allegedly to develop water projects for the urban areas. As we speak no drop of water can be found in any tap in the whole state after 24 years and mind boggling amounts borrowed.
“Since young people came together in the state and decided to use the platform of Labour Party to provide opposition to PDP, we have been under all kinds of attacks , threats , intimidation, harassments , financial baits etc.
“Enugu State PDP is so afraid to engage in any kind of competitive elections that they are throwing billions to make sure no other serious political parties appear on the ballot.
“This Tobi Okechukwu scandal has left us with more trepidation as to what they may have in stock for the governorship ticket which they have been pushing so hard to truncate.
“We have since pledged that they would never break our resolve. We shall stand firm in the face of these provocations.
‘Enugu is the only state where only politicians can boast of wealth. No business man or industrialist in Enugu State can compete financially with these PDP politicians.
“We are calling on our teeming supporters to be calm , all shall be well. A popular adage says that “ikpe mara eziokwu aka azu di ya“.
“The leadership of Labour Party in Enugu State would do all that is legally possible to resolve all the issues .
‘Labour Party shall participate fully in all cadres of elections in Enugu State. No amount of bullying and no number of Tobi Okechukwu shall deter us.”