‘Borno PDP, Abba Aji plotting to blackmail INEC’

There is a plot by the PDP and its candidate for Borno Central senatorial district, Mohammed Abba Aji, to blackmail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by filing frivolous petitions to cause confusion ahead of the re-scheduled presidential and National Assembly elections.

A coalition of civil societies which had been in Borno in the last two weeks monitoring electoral processes raised the alarm in a statement signed by Comrades Dennis Esumobi, Executive Director and Gabriel Gbajume, Publicity Secretary, both from Coalition of Civil Societies and Media Executives for Good Governance (COCMEGG).

The civil societies said a senatorial candidate, Abba Aji who was behind the petitions had boycotted five out of eight local government areas during his campaign for Borno Central and on seeing the possibilities of losing, had resorted to blackmail.

“It is public knowledge that since 2011, our coalition comes for election monitoring in Borno State because of the peculiar situation here. We know that others avoid Borno.

“We are shocked to uncover from our findings that last weekend, the PDP in Borno State resolved to disrupt the re-scheduled presidential and National Assembly elections by filing frivolous petitions against some officials of INEC in Borno State.

“What is shocking about Abba Aji is that whereas there are eight local government areas in Borno Central, he narrowed all his campaigns to only Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, some parts of Jere and his town, Bama. He totally boycotted five local government areas including Konduga, Mafa, Dikwa, Ngala and Kala-Balge.

“At a point, we thought he had withdrawn from the race.

“While Abba Aji boycotted these five local government areas, his opponents in other political parties were busy campaigning. Now that it is clear to him that he stands to lose, he resorted to using the PDP to cause confusion. His aim is to disrupt the rescheduled election coming up February 23, 2019.

“We hereby alert Nigerians of this plot by the Borno PDP under the push by Abba Aji. We also urge INEC to remain firm and ensure free, fair and credible elections without bias in favour of any political party,” the statement reads.

Efforts to get Sen. Aji’s side of the story was not successful as he did not pick his call.