The Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress to rig the December 5 governorship election in the state. Speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, the state capital on Thursday, Dokubo-Spiff alleged that the opposition party in the state was planning to use the same cloned Permanent Voter Cards that were used illegally during the botched APC primary to rig the governorship election.
The use of the cloned PVCs at the primary election, he reminded the general public, was what caused the crisis that engulfed the party which, he also claimed, still persisted till date. Dokubo-Spiff, who deplored the move, said from all indications, the APC was not ready to contest the election but only interested in finding a way to rig and take over the state.
According to him, the PDP had uncovered the rigging plot following intelligence gathering as he claimed that some elements in the APC willingly gave information about the planned use of the cloned PVCs said to be in circulation among members of the party and which would be used during the election. Already, he further said, there were moves to compromise the relevant agencies constitutionally mandated to conduct the election so that they can have their way. He said:
“The APC leadership is poised to rig the election at all cost. They are desperate and rigging is now their last resort.”
Dokubo-Spiff has, therefore, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies to take urgent steps to investigate the rigging plot with a view to arresting the situation. He said:
“Clearly, the APC in Bayelsa State is not prepared for any election. From all indications, all they want is a situation whereby they will collude with some INEC officials to help them write results and announce their candidate as winner and then the PDP will go to court. We want to assure them that such will not happen. We will do everything within our power to ensure that no rigging takes place. We are mobilizing our people to vote and wait to protect their votes.”