United Progressive Party (UPP) has accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) of planning to rig the November 18 governorship poll in Anambra State.

In a statement made available to journalists in Awka, the party’s publicity secretary, Uche Amaku, said that the desperation of APC to capture Anambra State gives the impression that the Igbo people have accepted the party saying: “When all of a sudden, some political deadwoods and former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who described APC as a janjaweed party started to run into it.”

“As if that was not enough, the ruling party started the usual motions without movement on some infrastructure projects in the Southeast all in a bid to convince Ndigbo that it means well for the zone when in fact it maintains its indifference to South East through lopsided appointments.”

While accusing APC of running a government of deception towards the South East and Anambra State in particular, Amaku said leaders of the party from the state have continued to keep sealed lips over the activities of killer herdsmen that have been dislocating people from their farms.

The statement read in part; “The recent meeting of leaders at the Alor in Idemmili local government council has confirmed our fears that APC was under pressure to capture Anambra State by fire and by force during the November 18 governorship election.

“To show the level of contempt to which the APC high command holds Anambra State, the party decided to assemble a high powered squad of election riggers and fugitives of the law as members of election planning and strategy committee.

“Worse of all the eight-man committee, which has a near zero membership from Anambra State, was mandated to monitor the election environment in the state as regards the 2017 governorship election and advise the zone on best ways and means of raising resources for the election.

“We in UPP are surprised that APC could not find an old member of the party worthy to be in the committee of riggers, but rather settled for an assembly of looters and political refugees that ran away from the anti-corruption searchlight being beamed on PDP.

“We therefore want to use this opportunity to warn these experienced electoral manipulators that UPP has set machinery in motion to ensure that no illicit fund is used to finance the November governorship election.

“While the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), continues to entertain Nigerians with discovery of orphaned monies, we want to warn APC not to use Anambra State as a gateway for its political refugees to launder their loot.”

The statement further indicated that the party has decided to lay good examples by ensuring that all funds for political activities go through the bank accounts of the party in the wards, local government and state chapters.

“We understand that the recent defectors to APC have been mandated to capture Anambra State as evidence that they are leading Igbo people to the party, but we can assure the political contractors and their principals that Anambra have decided to take their destiny in their hands.

“Above all, the participation of UPP in the election would make things a lot more complicated for those who think it would be business as usual in the state, because political mercenaries are no longer wanted in the scheme of things in Anambra State,” the party warned.

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