The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a proper conduct of a credible free and fair polls in Abia State during the Saturday, April 11 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

National chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umah and the Abia governorship standard bearer of the party, Dr. Alex Otti, made the call in Umuahia yesterday during a joint press briefing, alleging that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has perfected plans to manipulate the exercise to its (PDP) advantage.

Umeh said that INEC could ensure that the exercise passes transparency by ensuring the use of the card reader, that Returning Officers recruited for collation of results must be at their duty posts while the President should “rein in” the military.

“We are the people that have been so disefranchised in the past 15 years by the PDP imperial agents in Igboland. Each election time, they will be given soldiers to overrun Igboland as if that will be the end of it. People of the South East should be allowed to elect governors and House of Assembly members of their choice. The Igbo people must be allowed to participate in the Democratic process the way South West and Northern Nigeria have been allowed to elect their leaders, their representatives in all elections in the past,” Umeh said.

“I don’t see in Abia State why we should be specualting on who shall be the governor to rescue Abia state from the present rot if not Dr Alex Otti. So, they (PDP) know that he is the best candidate and the people want to vote for him, they (PDP) must allow the people of Abia state to vote in Alex Otti to salvage this state from the present grip of people who have been destroying this state and the Igbo nation,” he added

Calling on Abian to turn out en masse to cast their votes, Umeh said “this idea of making the Igboland to be a battle ground in àll elections, where our people will always be left in the lurch will end on Saturday.

“I want to call on the people of Abia State not to be intimidated by the evil plans of the PDP. Let them come out with their resolve on Saturday to vote for Alex Otti and all candidates of APGA in this election.

“That is the only way to guarantee progress in Abia State. We cannot sit down and watch puppets being foisted on the people after a failed session in governance. So, the only break that we must have is by insisting that the best candidate for this job must be returned on Saturday for the good of Abia people and that is Dr Alex Otti.”

Umeh described Saturday's polls as a make or mar elections, vowing that APGA members would not sit by and watch the elections being rigged. He said chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, must ensure that card readers sent to the South East for the election must function effectively, adding that the commission had about two weeks to remedy all faults associated with the machines.

•Photo shows National Vice Chairman of APGA, Engr Uchenna Okogbuo, Umeh, Otti, and Chairman, Board of Directors, Abia First, Campaign Organisation for Alex Otti, Prince Otisi Kalu during the briefing at the Alex Otti Campaign Office in Umuahia.