Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Ahead of Saturday’s presidential and national assembly election, a senatorial candidate in Rivers State, Dr Douglas Fabeke, has revealed that some powerful politicians in the state are secretly recruiting some youths to function as thugs and intimidate voters on that day.
According to the Ogoni-born senatorial candidate, the recruited thugs’ mission is to force the electorate to vote for the candidates of their principals or totally stop them from voting through orchestrated violence.
Dr Fabeke, who is contesting for the Rivers South-East Senatorial seat, made the disclosure while speaking with journalists on Wednesday.
“We have gathered intelligence reports that they have started recruiting youths to cause problems in the various polling units by intimidating the electorate and stopping them from voting.
“We’re also aware of plans to engage some youths as fake security agents,” he revealed.
He thus called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents to be vigilant and ensure that the election is not disrupted or marred by desperate politicians and their thugs.
Dr Fabeke maintained that time had come for the people of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District to enjoy human capital development-oriented quality leadership and representation after years of deceit and exploitation by greedy, selfish politicians who never meant well for them.
“It is time we give our dear Rivers South-East Senatorial District leaders with exceptional character moved with the ambition to ensure human capital development.
“This is time to change the narrative and we must get it right on February 25, 2023,” Fabeke insisted.
