A socio-political group, Cross River Democratic Watch (CRDW) has raised alarm over alleged plot by the state government to deploy Special Forces ahead of the National Assembly election.
The coordinator and secretary of the group, Messers Emmanuel Agbor Agbor and Austine Ushie respectively in a statement on Monday in Calabar said they are worried over the repeat of the same scene in 2023 election.
Information reaching Truth Live News alleged that the Governor Ben Ayade who was uninvited guest at the presidential visit to the Force Headquarters is asking the high police command to approve the setting up of a Special Forces in Calabar cum the northern senatorial district of the state.
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According to the group, in their view said that this could be a plot to rig election in the northern Senatorial District added that Ayade on behalf of the state government has promised to fund and donate some vehicles for their operations.
The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the disturbing moves by Governor Ben Ayade to Police Headquarters to lobby for a Special Force Unit to be approved in Calabar for the general election. The ulterior motive is for him to deploy the same Force to Northern part of the state and use it to compromise the senatorial election where he is a candidate.
“We wonder why Ayade is always looking for a Special Force once election is around the corner. He did it in the last Ogoja/Yala federal constituency by-election using the Governor’s office Security unit.
“It is important to note here that under the watch of Governor Ayade, the Cross River State Police Command have no operational vehicles neither do they receive logistics to carry out their constitutional duties. This is one of his desperate attempts at getting the Police echelon to deploy Special Forces to enable him rig the upcoming Senatorial election in Cross River North.
“The Inspector General of Police has committed to a level playing field, but Ayade who has been rejected by his people, is bent on rigging the election, through violence aided by the Police, anchored by the the Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Cross River State Command, Mr. Frank Idu.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police not listen to his manipulative tendencies. We also call on the authorities to call the Deputy Commissioner, Operations to order to desist from being used as a willing tool.
“We shall resist any attempt to compromise the senatorial election in any form using unauthourized security presence,” the statement concluded.
As at the time of filing this report, a call put across to the Deputy Commissioner, Operations, CP Frank Idu, was not returned, the report said.