By Emmanuel Iriogbe, Abuja.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sokoto state chapter, has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of sourcing for billions of Naira from neighboring Kebbi and Zamfara states to prosecute the just concluded rerun governorship election
This is as the party also decried the role played by security agents and hired thugs.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the party Tuesday and signed by the state publicity secretary, Abdullahi Hausawa.
According to the statement; “With the declaration of the election as inconclusive as a favour to the opposition APC, the party use the period to garner the support of neighboring states and source over five billion naira through the treasuries of two states of Zamfara and Kebbi as well as some selected Federal Government Agencies.
“These monies were used to facilitate the vote buying spree of up to thirty thousand naira and a bag of rice per vote, which is unprecedented in the history of elections not only in Sokoto state but in the whole country.
PDP stated that the vote buying phenomenon created and started by the APC, a party claiming to be fighting corruption further testified to the fact that the APC and its government is aiding and abetting corruption up to the grassroots level.
Decrying the massive deployment of security personnel by the federal government for the election, it frowned at what it termed unsubstantiated outright rigging by PDP as claimed by the opposition APC. “With the massive deployment of ten units of Mobile Police from Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Lagos states and FCT, and in addition to about 250 DSS Personals in favour of APC, in order to harass, intimidate and instill fear in the minds of peaceful and good people of Sokoto state there is no way our party can even attempt to rig an election in which we have confidence that by the will of Allah, the victory is ours.
“This is not withstanding hiring of political thugs from the neighbouring states of Kebbi and Zamfara, publicly brandishing their dangerous weapons to endanger the lives of the innocent voters in Kebbe, Tambuwal, Rabah, Tureta and Goronyo Local Governments.
The party however thanked the people of the state for believing in it and the efforts being put in place by Governor Tambuwal to reposition the state for greater glory for their votes which gave it victory.