Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senator representing Cross River North in the National Assembly under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the Cross River’s Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Alphonsus Eba, and 14 others for electoral offences.

Jarigbe, the candidate of the PDP in the just concluded National Assembly elections, stated this while addressing journalists in his office on Monday.

The Senator was re-elected for a second term by his constituents during the recently concluded election.

He noted with concern that the APC Chairman; a serving member of Governor Ben Ayade’s government, (names withheld), and a senior officer of the state police command allegedly connived to perpetrate acts of violence and intimidation during the exercise.

“Whether or not the IGP carries out disciplinary action on his officers or Alphonsus Eba, I will still go to court on grounds of defamation of character,” he vowed.

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Jarigbe said, “I emerged victorious in that election with 76, 145 votes; while the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, the sitting Governor of Cross River State, Benedict Ayade, came second with 56, 595 votes. A clear difference of 19,550 votes. Our people made it abundantly clear that I was their choice.

“There is an abundance of proof in the public domain that the APC committed several electoral offences in their bid to rig the last election in Cross River State in general, and Cross River North in particular.

“The party (allegedly) unleashed armed thugs to terrorize, intimidate, and bully voters and their perceived opponents during the election.

“The security agencies are fully aware of this. The DSS arrested one of the most dreaded of these armed thugs, one Ukpan Odey; also arrested a serving Commissioner (names withheld) with guns and ammunition. These arrests struck fear in their camp and other armed thugs went into hiding.

“Sadly, these suspects have been released without prosecution, and with their release, others who went into hiding have all returned and bared their fangs publicly, daring the Security Operatives to do their worst.

“One such daredevil thug who went into hiding is one Tompolo, who had since returned and was seen in broad daylight, wielding two guns in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.

“The release of these suspects has created the impression that the security agencies are powerless in the face of their armed thuggery.”

The Senator alleged further that the Cross River APC Chairman went to a Collation Centre in Yala Local Government and physically assaulted one of the PDP agents.

He also said that a fake INEC official procured to manipulate results in Yache Ward was also arrested, with a fake BVAS machine, and handed over to security agents.

Jarigbe expressed shock that rather than parading those arrested but later released, the state police command allegedly paraded strange faces before journalists.