The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to steer clear of all PDP strongholds, particularly the Niger Delta region, ahead of the March 9 Governorship and State Assembly elections.

The party also counseled Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, “to perish APC’s thoughts of using thugs to muscle the Akwa Ibom governorship and state assembly elections, as the people have been fully rallied for a firm resistance on Saturday.”

A statement on Wednesday by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said: “PDP’s position is predicated on the on-going heavy shipment of security forces and armed thugs into PDP strongholds, particularly, the Niger Delta region, with the view to suppress voters and manipulate the March 9 electoral process for the APC.

“Since the robbery of the PDP’s Presidential mandate, which Nigerians are determined to reclaim at the tribunal, the APC has been jittery over the escalated public support for the PDP not only to retain our states but also to ensure a sweeping victory for PDP in APC states across the country.

“As a result, the APC is desperate to unleash violence in oil-rich Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa, Abia, as well as Benue, Taraba, Gombe, Sokoto, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kwara, but these states and all other strongholds of the PDP, spanning across our nation, remain impregnable.”

PDP warned that “Nigerians are still livid over the rigging of the February 23 Presidential election, which was clearly won by Atiku Abubakar.” As such, “any further attempt to test their collective will on March 9 is capable of sparking off a huge civil restiveness across our nation,” the party said.

Continuing, PDP said: “We invite Nigerians to note how Osinbajo, on Tuesday, at a town hall meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, boasted that he and Oshiomhole will ensure that the APC will never be defeated and how thugs, loaded in over 50 buses, who confessed to have been contracted by Oshiomhole, were later intercepted on their way from Edo state to Akwa Ibom to cause mayhem during Saturday’s election.

“The PDP has full information on various secret locations in Akwa Ibom State, including hotels and other camps, where the APC has quartered thugs ahead of Saturday’s election. We note that the police have refused to evacuate these thugs, but let it be known that the people of Akwa Ibom State will never allow them to operate.”

PDP therefore cautioned APC “as well as its compromised INEC and security officials to bear in mind that Akwa Ibom and all Niger Delta states are incontrovertible PDP strongholds; that the APC does not have any genuine followership in these states and that anybody attempting or supporting any forceful takeover of any PDP stronghold should be aware that he or she is doing so at his or her own peril.”