The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of planning to break into the warehouse of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state to steal the card reading machines to be used for the March 28 and April 11 general elections. The allegation was contained in a statement issued today in Port Harcourt by Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Ibiamu Davies Ikanya.

According to him, “We wish to alert the security agencies and the general public of the diabolical plan by the leadership of Rivers PDP to break into INEC warehouse in Port Harcourt to steal the smart card reader machines. According to our informant in PDP’s Campaign Organisation who was privy to the sinister plot, the Chief Security Officer of Rivers INEC, who has been comprised, assured the party chieftains that the gate of INEC would be thrown open around 2am on 26th March for what has been tagged ‘Operation Bat’. According to our informant, this arrangement was perfected during the visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, during her South-South PDP Women Presidential Rally in Port Harcourt, few days ago,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said.

He quoted APC’s informant as disclosing that Rivers PDP intends to use the card reading machines to be stolen during ‘Operation Bat’ to accredit only PDP members during the election in the state.

“If this fails, then option two will be used – to frustrate INEC from using the smart card readers in the state or totally stop the conduct of the election in the state to save the party and President Goodluck Jonathan from imminent defeat awaiting them during the 2015 polls in the state. We cannot ascertain if the INEC Resident Commissioner, Mrs. Gesila Khan, is aware of this plot as she took ill after her plan with a top official of the Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) to rig the election in favour of PDP was busted,” Ikanya said.

Rivers APC called on the security agencies “to intensify surveillance in the INEC State Headquarters and nip this wicked plot to rig the elections in the bud.”

•Photo shows Ikanya.

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