From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna
The Niger state government has said it will hold the opposition All Progressive Party (APC) responsible for any violence in the next Saturday’s supplementary election for Niger East senatorial election.
Meanwhile, the publicity secretary of the APC, Mr Jonathan Vatsa said that they are not afraid because they are being intimidated by the popularity of their candidate, David Umaru.
It would be recalled the spokesman of the Niger opposition party in a statement Monday blamed election irregularities by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, as reason for their abysmal performance at the last Saturday senatorial by-election.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Niger state Governor, Mr. Israel A Ebije, in a signed statement yesterday in Minna while refuting the claim said its irresponsible for the APC to accuse PDP of rigging.
According to Vatsa, “if there is violence it means that PDP and the government in their usual trade mark take shortcut to get victory at all cost in their do or die affair to make sure that David Umaru do not come out victorious as desired by many people in the state”.
“If PDP is doubting the popularity of APC and the candidate David Umaru in the Niger East by-election, they should answer the question why the Governor lost his polling unit, ward and local government”, he said.
Aliyu’s spokesman added that the opposition is already preparing fertile grounds for violence in the next general election by allegedly setting negative agenda on the mind of gullible youths in order to dent the existing peaceful coexistence in the state.
He insisted that Niger APC is whimpering now only because their unleashed thugs were not able to accomplish the mission they set out to do in the first place, adding that politics has gone beyond cheap blackmail and sympathy seeking propaganda when the electorates know what they want.
“It is irresponsible for the APC to cast negative values at the conduct of the PDP or INEC in the just concluded by-election. They are only interested in inventing cheap lies to seek undeserved sympathy
from the people. They have only exposed themselves as a people only interested in peddling lies to cover their electoral misfortunes. It is however sad that they are stoking the flame of violence”.
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