PDP, senator allege planned ‘takeover’ of A’Ibom by APC
The national headquarters of the PDP and one of its Senators have alleged that the ruling APC and the presidency are plotting to cause mayhem in Akwa Ibom State and other PDP-controlled states in order to “forcefully” take over the states in the 2019 general elections.
But the APC had dismissed the claim, saying the PDP only saw a vision of its impending defeat in 2019.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, told newsmen yesterday at a press conference in Abuja that the party would resist such attempt using all the necessary democratic means.
Ologbondiyan alleged that, “Part of the plot is the forceful attempt to take over control of the Akwa Ibom State legislature for which the presidency and the APC have been sponsoring the invasion of the assembly complex and seeking ways to violently oust the duly elected leadership of the state assembly.”
He said, “The PDP wants the Buhari presidency and the APC to bear in mind that their plot to forcefully take over Akwa Ibom or any other PDPcontrolled state will be firmly resisted by the people of those states and such may lead to a crisis of unprecedented magnitude that has the capacity of truncating our hard-earned democracy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Bassey Akpan (PDP, A’Ibom), said the sealing of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly was part of a plot to allow some few members of the assembly the opportunity to begin impeachment process against Gov. Emmanuel Udom.
Sen. Bassey Akpan said over 1,000 policemen were deployed to seal the assembly complex, a development he described as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
This is even as the Senate gave its Committee on Police Affairs order to swing into action and unravel the circumstances that led to the deployment of the over 1,000 policemen to the assembly complex.
“We have it on good authority that the ultimate aim is to take over the assembly and impeach the governor,” Akpan told journalists yesterday after the Senate plenary where he raised a motion on the matter.
The senator told his colleagues that reports on the morning of Wednesday indicated that members of the Akwa Ibom State assembly were denied entry into the complex to carry out their legislative business in accordance with the constitution.
Commenting on the development, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said the Senate should rise above partisanship and address such issue.
“What’s wrong is wrong? If it’s true that security agencies invaded the House of Assembly, then it’s wrong. But what I would say is that we shouldn’t conclude. There should be an investigation into it quickly. Once it’s confirmed, or not, we’ll then take action,” he said.
On his part, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in a phone interview that the allegations were unfounded.
He said the statement was coming out because the PDP was afraid of its faith in 2019 after suffering defeat in three by elections conducted last weekend.
“If he (senator) says we want to take over, that is correct; but we will only do that legally through elections. And we are working hard to ensure we take over; but we will follow due process,” said.