The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunday, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is buying off permanent voters’ cards from internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State.
PDP’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Bemgba Iortyom, in a statement lambasted the APC for exploiting the internally displaced victims of Fulani herdsmen attacks.
Based on what it described as “credible intelligence” the PDP said national ruling party set the state to manipulate the 2019 elections it staged a decamping ceremony inside the Daudu IDP camp.
“To have staged a decamping ceremony inside an IDPs camp alone was a record showing of moral depravity and conscienceless desperation, yet APC went a step further down the path of infamy with their agents secretly offering monies ranging between N5,000 and N10,000 to displaced persons at the camp in exchange for their permanent voters cards (PVCs) while the charade of a decamping ceremony lasted,” the PDP said.
“The scheme has since then continued by the opposition party in the state with their agents going about secretly to IDPs camps and as well to residences housing those victims of herdsmen attacks offering to them various sums of money in exchange for their PVCs.
“This development is not only obnoxious and nefarious but directly targets to undermine the very institution of democracy which stands as the most prized asset Nigerians have next to the corporate entity of the country,” the statement said.
The PDP said the manipulation of the IDPs amounted to rubbing salt into the injuries of people who are suffering because of the failure of APC- controlled federal government to protect them from armed Fulani herdsmen.
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“We understand that APC presently is a failed political experiment only waiting to be consigned to the graveyard of history by Nigerians, as such the party may not be able to properly appreciate the value of the democratic culture which PDP painstakingly helped to nurture, yet the party must not be allowed to dangerously rock our ship of state in its dying moments.
“We, therefore, call on the good people of Benue State to rise up and condemn in the strongest possible terms this dastardly scheme by APC, and we urge all internally displaced persons to shun the devilish offer to sell their PVCs to the same party that has been responsible for their plight.
“Furthermore, we challenge security agencies to launch their own investigations into this matter and bring the perpetrators to book to safeguard and preserve our priceless institution of democracy, in the best interest of the Nigerian nation,” the statement concluded.
The APC had on October 29, took its campaign train to the Daudu IDPs camp in a move that sparked outrage in the state.
Benue State governorship candidate the party, Emmanuel Jime, and former Governor, George Akume, used the opportunity to rally votes for the APC ahead of the 2019 polls.
