…calls on CBN, EFCC ,INEC to stop “Wire – Wire Operation”
From George Onyejiuwa,Owerri
The Imo State Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has raised the alarm of an alleged vote buying scheme by governor Hope Uzodimma through electronic money transfers to voters ahead of the 2023 general election in the state.
The party also called for the arrest of the state Accountant – General alleging that it is through his office that the electronic money transfers are been made .
The Imo PDP which said it has a credible intelligence called on the Central Bank of Nigeria, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Independent National Electoral Commission to stop “Wire -Wire” operation in the state in order not derail democracy in the state.
In a statement signed by MCollins Opurozor, State Publicity Secretary the party said that it can authoritatively confirm that the failed APC regime has concluded the first phase of the Operation Wire-Wire vote buying scheme by harvesting the PVC information, bank account details, and polling unit names and codes of thousands of eligible voters in the state .
The statement which read , “Our Party can confirm authoritatively that across Imo State, the failed APC regime has concluded the first phase of this Operation Wire-Wire vote buying scheme by harvesting the PVC information, bank account details, and polling unit names and codes of thousands of eligible voters. They did so with what they termed “Vote Canvassing Form”.
Our Party has credible intelligence that this attempt to derail democracy in Imo State is coordinated through the Office of the Accountant-General of the State who has converted his very sensitive position to finance department of Imo APC, and has lent himself entirely to aiding and abetting electoral fraud.
It further stated , “Imo PDP, therefore, while calling on the EFCC to immediately arrest and prosecute the Accountant General of Imo State, also demands that the Central Bank of Nigeria should quickly impose crushing sanctions on commercial banks which are now in bed with these anti-democratic forces within the decadent APC regime in Imo to circumvent the wishes of Imo people, short-circuit our electoral process and commit pure treason.
What needs to be quickly noted is that this latest option by the failed APC in Imo State to wire money directly to voters’ bank accounts on the eve of the elections was resorted to after INEC had cleaned up its voter register and removed the millions of ghost-voters imported into the system through the Omuma Magic fraud. The urgency for this Operation Wire-Wire also took effect immediately the CBN announced its policy to redesign the higher denominations of the Naira.
In order not to be hampered by scarcity of liquid cash for vote buying and election-day fraud, the desperate APC in Imo has at last decided to route its slush funds for rigging through bank accounts of voters.
Adding , “Our Party reiterates its demand that INEC should immediately disqualify the APC from participating in the 2023 elections in Imo State.
Imo PDP is deeply concerned about the future of democracy in Nigeria if the provisions of the Electoral Act could be flagrantly violated without consequences. To be clear, vote buying is a crime against the Nigerian state and our electoral law, and those found culpable should be punished in accordance with the provisions of our extant laws.
Our Party therefore salutes the resilience of Imo people and their continued rejection of all the retrogressive, tyrannical and anti-people contrivances of the outgoing APC regime in the State. Imo is just a step away from being reclaimed from the clutches of bad governance, so as to rebuild it for the benefit of all. The God of Imo State neither sleeps nor slumbers”.