The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State Chapter, Bro. Felix Obuah, has expressed grave concern over latest moves by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Rivers South-East Senatorial District re-run election, Mr. Magnus Abe, including his reported visit Friday, to the Abuja offices of the Amnesty International and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to a statement issued by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser, on Media to the state PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, the PDP chairman also recalled that a few days ago, Mr. Abe and the state chairman of the APC, Mr. Davies Ikanga, also met with the INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, amongst other visits and clandestine activities by chieftains and members of the APC, aimed at subverting the INEC election process and securing a compromised conduct of the exercise.

Bro. Obuah criticised such moves, describing the activities of APC as unprogressive and undemocratic, as it would amount to denying the people their fundamental right of choosing their popular and acceptable representatives as well as disallowing a free and fair electoral process in the state.

While calling on Mr. Abe and the APC chieftains to retrace their steps and return to Rivers State to prepare for full participation in the planned election, the PDP chairman believes that the exercise would be an obvious opportunity for the parties and their candidates to test their popularity and acceptance in the state.

“We have no doubt in our mind that the INEC will not allow desperate and unpopular politicians like Magnus Abe and Ikanya to destroy its reputation.

“We also call on the international community, security agencies, INEC and other institutions not to yield to Mr. Abe and the APC call for the postponement of the Rivers legislative re-run polls, as there is no justification to further deny the people the opportunity to exercise their franchise, as their fundamental right,” Obuah said.

In like manner, the PDP Chairman in Rivers State also accused the APC in the state of another plot to ensure that the re-run state and National Assemblies Election scheduled for Saturday, July 30, 2016, in 8 Local Government Areas of the state is postponed.

The party observes that the burning of INEC office in Bori in the early hours of Friday is a pointer that APC is not ready for the re-run polls.

The PDP condemns the action in strong terms, saying it is another deliberate action by the APC to create a state of insecurity not only in Khana Local Government Area and the Ogoni area but in Rivers State as a whole “apparently to justify their demand for the postponement of the election, having realised that its candidates in the election from the area will not succeed in the polls.”

•Photo shows Bro. Obuah.

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