The Imo Progressives Movement (IPM) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got into a fight on Tuesday over alleged preparations to scuttle the state’s governorship election on November 11.
IPM had issued a warning after discovering what it claimed to be a PDP-orchestrated conspiracy to foment disorder and sabotage the election.
The warning was issued in a statement made available to Platinum Times in Owerri on Tuesday by the group’s Director General, Jeff Nwaoha.
“What Imo people must know is that agents of PDP have sealed a deal with two warlords in Rivers and Edo states to invade Imo State with over 2,000 armed militants and unleash mayhem on the populace so as to stop the governorship election from holding.
“These armed bandits are to be deployed across the twenty-seven LGAs of the state, and their mandate is to attack electoral officials and hijack and divert electoral materials.
“The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, just yesterday, unwittingly confirmed this plot to destabilize Imo State ahead of the election when he issued a bizarre statement, mischievously advising the Nigeria Police Force to cancel the Conference and Retreat of Senior Police Officers scheduled to hold in Imo State.
The anger in his tone betrayed his party’s deep frustration with the planned police conference,” the statement said.
Reacting to the allegation, Ikenna Onuoha, spokesperson of the Imo PDP Campaign Council, alleged that the party has credible information that APC leaders, working with senior INEC officials, have already written the results of the November 11 governorship election.
According to him, the APC is waiting for the opportunity to upload the fake results on INEC’s portal.
He said,
“The PDP leaders in the state are also worried after getting hints of covert plot by APC leaders in the state to unleash mayhem on them including some of their media handlers few days to the election as part of efforts to disenfranchise them.
“However, our party is not in power, but they are in power. Because of this, we have handed our lives to God for protection since those expected to do so do not have the capacity to do so.
“Our warning to them and their cohorts is to steer clear and allow Imo people to have a peaceful election.”