The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Abia State chapter says, it has uncovered plans by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration in the state to lure and poach APGA candidates of Ukwa la Ngwa extraction in the 2023 general elections.
Fielding questions from newsmen at the state party Secretariate in Umuahia after a meeting, the state chairman, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, said “The masterminds of this evil scheme intend to entice the candidates particularly APGA House of Assembly candidates from Ukwa la Ngwa political bloc, with irresistible financial inducements”, he said.
He further disclosed, “According to our intelligence, their plan is to lure the affected APGA candidates with such heavy financial offers to help deliver PDP governorship candidate, Prof. Uche Ikonne in their respective constituencies.
“The plot was “to sabotage the candidature of APGA governorship candidate, Professor Greg Ibe”.
“They equally promised to concede the House of Assembly seats to some of the APGA candidates while others they promised to reward with political appointments in the imaginary Ikonne-led government”.
He called on Abians “to rise and vigorously resist this wicked plot by Abia slave masters to use our common patrimony to hold the state down perpetually”, adding “We should not allow those who have allocated to themselves the position of kingmakers to use our collective resources to buy our future.
“We must all rise to ensure that only those who have the competence to revive our economy and navigate the state out of its present economic doldrums receive our mandate”.
“Should we allow god-fatherism and imposition which have taken Abia State far behind other states in the South East to continue? Should the squandermanium by the PDP be allowed to go unchecked?, he asked
“This is time to vote competence and not mediocrity. The next Abia Governor must have capacity and track record of achievements like Professor Greg Ibe. Abia State cannot be entrusted in the hands of emergency philanthropists and overnight billionaire Government contractors who are feeding fat on Abia’s common wealth.
“As a party, our advice to our candidates from Ukwa la Ngwa and other parts of the State is to refuse to be remembered on the wrong side of history.
“We urge them to stand tall as heroes of democracy and support our Governorship candidate, Professor Greg Ibe, in his vision to birth a new Abia where merit will be placed above other sentiments”, Ehiemere said.
Reacting, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP says, financial inducement gain support is not one of our stategies to win the 2023 elections.
According to Amah Abraham, the party’s Vice Chairman/Acting Publicity Secretary, “Our strategy for that election is voters education, constructive engagement with members of other political parties, even their candidates, to engage them constructively and then talk about the capacity and the potentials of the candidates we have.
“The PDP is a better deal for them and many of them are falling in, coming in and making committments to come over based on that constructive engagement.
“It is not our design to give people money to ask them to leave their party.
“Secondly, if those parties, particularly, APGA that is making that insinuation have credible people whom they have given tickets, I can. assure you they will not dump their tickets for financial related reasons, but can dump their tickets and join PDP on the basis of constructive engagement.
“So, they should look within and know where their problems are actually coming from.
“The truth is that, in the weeks and month ahead, we will see several of their candidates dropping their ambitions.
“Many of them are going to do that not because anybody has induced them financially but because they feel and have reasons to believe that the PDP is a better deal for them and a better deal for our state and country”
