THE EVIL FRAME UP THAT MUST FAIL, BEING THE TEXT OF THE PRESS BRIEFING BY OBONG PAUL EKPO, STATE CHAIRMAN PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY AKWA IBOM STATE CHAPTER ON THE PLAN TO FRAME UP AND ARREST KEY LEADERS OF OUR PARTY
Gentlemen of the Press,
We have received credible intelligence that on Monday, 21st January, 2019 or on any other day during APC rallies, buses branded as PDP buses or vehicles bearing state government number plates, will be loaded with arms and occupied by some criminals, heading to the venue of the APC rally. On approaching, the buses and their occupants will be arrested and the contents of the buses displayed for all to see as a major security breakthrough. Additionally, the criminals will mention some PDP top shots as their financiers, necessitating their arrest and subsequent prosecution under the anti-terrorism Act . This plot which is hatched and sponsored by the opposition APC is aimed at arresting and incarcerating our key leaders and keeping them away from circulation throughout the elections. This is, to say the least, very crude, anachronistic and antediluvian, signaling APCs imminent defeat at the approaching polls.
We have stated before and will reiterate now that, we are a peace loving party, operating within the ambit of the law. Our leaders who are currently being targeted by the opposition, are innocent Nigerians with proven integrity. They do not engage in arms stockpiling, or procurement of violence in any form. It is therefore very unfortunate that people who should be planning for elections, are rather hatching evil plans on how to arrest people. It is evident even from the peaceful way we conducted our primaries, that we are very peaceful people. Pre and post primaries, there wasnt a single gunshot, or death unlike the APC, where scores of people were reported dead in different parts of the state. In Okobo local government area, an entire police station was razed by supporters of an APC aspirant, who felt shortchanged during their primaries.
In the past few weeks, the leadership of the party, has been inundated with calls from different parts of the state, where our supporters have been wantonly arrested and incarcerated, without any lawful justification. In Essien Udim, scores of our youths and elders have been arrested on trumped up charges of defacing or destroying posters belonging to the President. In Nsit Atai, our supporters are slammed with grave charges, just to cause the court to deny them bail. In Nsit Ibom, one of our supporters was stabbed by a member of the opposition in front of the DPO, and till date the assailant has not been pulled in for question or arrested. In Ikot Abasi, people who are supporters who refuse to supporter their brother are mercilessly beaten and harassed. Even Journalists and various press men sympathetic to our cause are daily harassed and intimidated.
We can assure the opposition, that no amount of arrest and intimidation will bend the will of the people. The greater the opposition, the more resolute the will of the people will be to ensure their resounding failure. Our people will vote their choice and defend their votes.
We hereby state as follows:
1. That we have not and will not send anybody to attempt to disrupt rallies or meetings of any other political party.
2. That we call on security agencies to note this intelligence and act swiftly. Recall that we had during the House of Assembly imbroglio, we had notified of an impending attack on the Assembly.
3. We have been victims of the wanton destruction of our publicity materials. Our billboards and other campaign materials have been maliciously destroyed and in reaction, we wrote to the police seeking their intervention. Up till now, we have not been informed of any warning, apprehension or arrest on the subject matter, rather we are witnessing arrest of PDP supporters for the destruction of non-existing billboards of the opposition.
4. That anybody can, without the authority of the brand owner, use the brand material (especially political brands) on a vehicle or any other surface. Additionally, most of those in the opposition today, were previously in government and are still in possession of government vehicles with number plates, which can be used for nefarious activities.
In conclusion, we urge our supporters not to fear, conscious that we serve a living God who is able to fight for us. The scripture in Psalms 70:2 is very prophetic, it states that May those who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
