By Frank Ulom
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State have said they will contain any policeman who is bent on depriving voters of their rights in the forthcoming election.
The PDP who called for the redeployment of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Operations, DCP Francis Idu said they have credible information that the police and other security agencies are being used as a tool to harass, arrest and intimidate their members and voters during the forthcoming elections.
This was disclosed on Saturday, February 18, 2023, by Hon. Donklemz Enamhe, spokesperson of the over 50 PDP support groups who staged a 5 million match for the party in Calabar.
The groups include Reclaim Cross River, Health Professionals For Sandy, Elites For Sandy, Atiku Youths, PDP Angels, Stronger Together, Advocacy For True Democracy, Mandated Mandate, Aso World Wide For Sandy, Caterpillar Ladies and others.
Enamhe, who is also the President, National Association For Advancement of Cross River State People (NAACP) said: “This state belongs to the PDP and this is one of the states that the members of the party are law-abiding at all times but even with that, they are plans by some security men in the state to harass, arrest and intimidate our members and voters on the polling unit.
“Tell the world that any policeman who thinks his duty in Cross River State is to sub-change us, any policeman who has a history of undermining the people and depriving people of their votes, we will contain him.
“We will not be intimidated, we will contain them by voting and standing by our votes. If they try to arrest us for no reason, we will resist their arrests and if they want to stop us from casting our votes, we will stand and vote”.
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Enamhe said they have asked President Muhammadu to redeploy DCP Idu immediately.
“I speak to you clearly that Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is the number one security officer of this country should ask the IG of Police (Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba) to redeploy immediately DCP Francis Idu, Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, Cross River State Command.
“He [DCP Idu] does not respect his oath as a policeman in this country. We have very serious information that some people are sponsoring some security personnel to disarm voters who are supposed to vote by all means.
“We are not afraid of losing any election, we have the background of his character, the DCP is the same person deployed for the last Ogoja/Yala by-election and we know the shady things he did. Let him go to other states and or Benue state where he comes from”, Enamhe said as the leaders of the groups joined in one accord.
He added, “If they refuse to deploy him, he should please put himself together to stay at the headquarters but moving around with the special forces intimidating voters is what we don’t want. We have his history.”
The groups said the PDP will win the All Progressives Congress, APC before the end of the poll. “We will beat the APC, and win the elections before noon”, Enamhe maintained.
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