Elections: APC accuses Niger of borrowing N5b for rigging

The Niger State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused the state government of borrowing N5 billion to finance the rigging of the forthcoming general elections for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Jonathan Vatsa, stated this on Sundaywhile addressing journalists in Minna.

Vatsa added that the state ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs borrowed N3 billion, while the state government borrowed N2 billion to make a total debt of N5 billion.

In a counter statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Israel Ebije, the state government challenged the opposition party to produce documents to back its claims.

Ebije said: “Though their reckless allegation does not deserve reply it is however instructive to clarify on the abysmal blackmail errand the state opposition has decided to serve the electorate with.”

Vatsa said the government borrowed the money for the purpose of buying over security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission in the rigging of the election in favour of the PDP.

The statement called on the security agencies to stop all unholy alliances with the government.

Vatsa also alleged that the Niger State Government had recently summoned a meeting with all the INEC state electoral officers, where the deal to assist the ruling party in rigging the election was done, adding: “At the end of the meeting each electoral officer was given N100,000 while it was also agreed that the sum of N3 million will be released to them when the election commenced.”

He said the PDP administration has realised too late that it has become very unpopular and cannot win any free and fair election in the state, hence it has resorted to frantic efforts to rig the election through the use of money.

He stated that a PDP woman supporter has been caught in Chanchanga area of the Minna buying voters cards at the rate of N20,000 each, advising that the Police should not overlook these electoral offences by the ruling party.

He lamented that the government was putting a heavy debt burden on the people and the incoming government just to induce voters, adding: “We in APC are calling on the people of Niger State not to sell their votes and their future for a pot of porridge.”

But Ebije said: “It is indeed a serious problem when a political party is so very equipped strange stories constructed from the pit of hell to sell to electorates. For Niger state APC issue based politics is not simply for them. They are only interested in fabricating lies cheap blackmail and unleashing thugs in their desperate attempt to secure victory.”