Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Cross River State, Vena Ikem, has hailed the use of military personnel in the February 25, presidential/National Assembly elections and urged the federal government to use military personnel if it desires a peaceful governorship election on March 11.
Ikem made the remarks yesterday in Calabar while reacting to calls by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) state party chairman, Mr Alphonsus Ogar, that the federal government should not use the military in Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections.
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The PDP chairman said out there in the field, where he worked in the just concluded presidential/National Assembly elections as a party agent, in Obudu LGA of the state, no military personnel came close where the electorates were casting their votes.
“The military were not partisan, but very professional, what they are trying to do is to collaborate with police high command and top government functionaries to sell the impression to the military high command.
“The accusation is completely baseless and ridiculous, all to ensure that soldiers are schemed out so that they unleash violence during the forthcoming March 11 elections.
“What we are saying is that it is obvious that soldiers’ presence is a directive from the Commander in Chief who wants a proper election.
“PDP needs full security including the police and armed forces. But the PDP is aware that some people in the police high command are collaborating with top government functionaries in the state.
“And that what the APC is doing, is to sell their dubious intention and impression that the military were not professional. What was obvious was that the military were very professional in the field.
“They want to weaken the security fabric of elections so as to show injustice using the police.
“The president had in his address stated that he had identified flash points, Cross River North happened to be one of the flash points.
“And so, nothing has changed with the deployment of security men to those flash points,” the chairman said.