From Samaila Adebayo Birnin Kebbi
The Peoples Democratic Party in kebbi State on Sunday said the ruling party, All progressives Congress (APC) is perfecting plans to rig the Saturday's governorship and state assembly elections that are to be conducted in the state.
The party's Governorship Candidate, General Aminu Bande ( rtd), while addressing journalists in his campaign office in Birnin Kebbi said the party heard it on good authority that part of the plans the APC would use to perfect it's rigging is to ensure that INEC did not use the BIVAs for the elections.
He said the ruling party plans to thumb print ballot papers for it's candidates and because of this the party did not want INEC to use the BIVAs.
He said the PDP is not afraid to go into elections with the ruling party provided its free and fair. "All we want is credible elections. We call on INEC and security operatives to do the right thing without favouring any side in the elections. They should not allow the ruling party to carry on with it's plan to rig the elections.
"We want INEC to ensure the BIVAs are used. We are not afraid to lose in a credible elections", he said.
He warned the ruling party to stop dragging traditional rulers into politics. "To perfect their plans they are dragging traditional rulers into the elections. They are respected traditional leaders who are fathers' to all.
"Traditional rulers would be accorded the right place in my government if elected governor. They will be part of decision making in my government. I won't sit in government house and call them to come. I will go to them", the PDP guber candidate said.
Bande said the PDP did well by winning the presidential and national assembly elections in kebbi State because the electorates knew it was the right party to vote for the development and progress of Kebbi State.
He enjoined the electorates to repeat their votes for the PDP in the governorship and state assembly elections. He said"We promise to support people that are idle to be in business. We will make them enterprising because less efforts is being made by the APC government to establish industries in the state".
While dispelling the rumour that he plans to retire many of the state civil servants in the position of directors, Bande said there was no such plans. "We will make the state civil service more productive and give room for the civil servants to develop themselves", Bande promised.
In his reaction to the PDP's rigging claim, INEC Deputy Director of Publicity and Voters Education, Muhammed Rabiu said "There was no how any party can rig the elections because BIVAs would be used for all the elections in kebbi State on Saturday. Any of our staff that float INEC directives on the use of BIVAs would be prosecuted.
"INEC can never be used by any political party to rig election. We will prosecute anybody who did not follow our directives on the conduct of the elections. We call on the political parties in the elections to comply with INEC guidelines as they are spelt out for the elections", he said.
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