THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the violent invasion of the Akwa-Ibom state House of Assembly by those it said are security forces allegedly working for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to forcefully take over the control of the legislature and destabilize the state.

In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the party in Abuja on Tuesday, the party observed that it was a shocking scene at the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly on Tuesday, when the invading security forces shot sporadically and disrupted legislative activities in the attempt to assist the APC to forcefully overthrow the duly elected leadership of the state legislature.

The party also accused the former governor of the state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of stirring the violent invasion in keeping with his threats that the APC will overrun Akwa-Ibom state the same way Adolf Hitler overran Poland during the Second World War.

The statement added: “Nigerians are all aware of how Senator Akpabio declared war on Akwa-Ibom and boasted that ‘War shall see Warsaw and Warsaw shall see war’ in the APC’s quest to take over the state; a mission that has apparently commenced with the violent invasion of the state legislative house.”

The PDP said it was also aware of the role being played by security operatives, particularly the Police, “in this ignoble scheme, which has the backing of the Buhari Presidency to destabilize the oil-rich state ahead of the 2019 general election.”

“Our party had earlier alerted of the ploy by the Buhari Presidency to trigger violence in Akwa-Ibom state, create an impression that the state has become ungovernable, with a view to opening the way for a declaration of a state of emergency, which will enable them to dismantle all democratic structures and forcefully take over control of the state,” it states.

The PDP cautioned Senator Akpabio, the APC and the Presidency “to note that their design is a recipe for national crisis, as the people of Akwa-Ibom state and indeed, all well-meaning Nigerians across board will never allow anybody to overrun the state or take over any arm of government by any means other than through the laid down process of free, fair and credible elections.”

“This reprehensible scheme, which failed in Benue state, cannot succeed in any part of our country, as Nigerians are now, more than ever before, willing, ready and able to protect our democracy with every means available within their rights as free citizens under the law,” the part declared.

Meanwhile, the PDP has dismissed what it said is a phoney post circulating on the social media, purported to be the PDP Presidential campaign timetable.

It pointed out that the fabricators of the post even went further to allocate venues and dates for zonal rallies, which they claimed to have emanated from the PDP Presidential campaign council.

According to the party, for the avoidance of doubt, the PDP said it wanted to clarify that it has not yet released any timetable or timelines for our Presidential campaigns.

Similarly, the party has not yet allotted any dates or venues for our campaigns.

The leadership of the PDP, therefore, urged all its members and supporters across the board to completely disregard the said timetable on the social media, as it did not emanate from the PDP.

The statement said the PDP Presidential Campaign Council led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, will soon make public the authentic timetable for the party’s Presidential campaign and such information will have the full seal of the party and disseminated through PDP official handles.

Sourced From: Tribune