Akwa–Ibom:

Following the claims by the Young Progressives Party, (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State that the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has collaborated with the ruling party, the PDP to rig the coming Gubernatorial/ State Assembly elections, the state chapter of the PDP has challenged YPP to produce evidence of its claims.

The state chairman of YPP, Apostle Nyeneime Andy, had while briefing newsmen alleged that Governor Emmanuel visited and spent several hours with the INEC to plan how to rig the coming polls.

Andy claimed that the party had received an intelligence report of an alleged plot to favour the ruling PDP in the state and called on the police, the DSS and international observers to take curious interest in Akwa Ibom’s election to avert the plot.

He alleged that the state PDP with the support of INEC has perfected plans to rig the forthcoming polls.

However, in a swift reaction through a statement on Friday, titled” 2023 Elections and YPP’s First Alibi for Looming Defeat” the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Borono Bassey challenged the YPP chairman who is an overseer of an Uyo-based church to produce evidence to buttress his claims without which he should not stand on the pulpit to preach against the sin of lying.

The statement reads in part “We challenge Apostle Nyeneime Andy to produce even the tiniest shred of evidence that show that governor Udom Emmanuel had visited INEC office on the said day, else the lying state chairman of YPP should never stand before his church to preach against the sin of lying.

“We are shocked that the ill-fated and makeshift Political Party – YPP, is using reverse psychology to make false accusation on the electoral umpire, INEC, our Party, the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel, given that the security agencies have received several tip-offs about heinous activities by known YPP chieftains ahead of the forthcoming elections.