Ahead of the governorship and state Assembly elections slated for this weekend, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has devised last minute trump-card to retain the state, cashing in on the cashless crises to draw more voters, especially in Uyo local government area, that commands the largest number of votes running into over 240,000.
More worrisome to the ruling PDP since the return of democracy in 1999, according to Chief Ekong Bassey, a community leader in Uyo, ward 2, “is the fact that in the last Presidential and National Assembly elections, the voting pattern was massively swayed for Labour Party (LP), and Peter Obi, won with large margin over the PDP.”
“It was a clear protest vote for a change because people are desirous of genuine and positive dynamics that would force government to the grassroots with good dividends of democracy in terms of constituency projects in water, roads, electricity and jobs for the idle youths,” he noted.
“If President Muhammadu Buhari, has not done anything in the last eight years, this electoral reforms has brought some measures of legitimacy to the electoral process and restored the confidence of voters that our votes will count with the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS),” Comrade Ekikere Effiong, a civil society activist said.
However, determined to reassert the PDP in the consciousness of the electorates, PDP has intensified strategies to woo voters including the gifting of rice, wrappers and money.
On Monday, members of the state branch of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), had their fair share of the largesse, as the Ministry of Transport, cancelled the daily ticket charges till after the elections on Saturday.
The commissioner for transport, Mr Uno Etim Uno, explained that the bailout became necessary to cushion the effect of the cash crunch, and urged them to reciprocate by casting their votes for the PDP on Saturday.
“Due to the harsh realities occasioned by the cash crunch in the country, the Akwa Ibom State government hereby graciously announces a five-day suspension of the daily ticketing for operators of commercial tricycles and mini buses. The suspension takes immediate effect from today, Monday, (yesterday), March 13th till Friday March 17th, 2023.
“In continued support for the State government, transporters are urged to use the five days of grace to prepare to take active part in the governorship and state Assembly elections slated for Saturday March 18, 2023.
“It is hoped that in response to the kind gesture of the state government, transporters will remain law-abiding and shun all forms of violence throughout the period of the elections,” the commissioner said.
