On Wednesday, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a candidate for the Ideato North South PDP House of Representatives, was to be arrested, according to the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), which claimed to have discovered the plot.
The Labour Party's candidate for the Orlu/Orsu/Oru Federal Constituency, Hon. Geff Ojinika, and other opposition leaders were to be kidnapped and silenced using the state's anti-kidnapping squad, according to a statement from the CUPP's national co-spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo.
In order to cover up the hack of the voter registration known as "Omuma magic," where phoney names were uploaded into the register, Adebayo said that the objective is to kidnap the opposition leaders and then use fabricated accusations against them before a prearranged magistrate in Owerri, Imo.
According to CUPP, this move is to silence the opposition parties from exposing more shocking details on those who compromised the voters’ register and plotted to rig the 2023 election.
According to the statement, “The Coalition fingered the IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, and the Governor of Imo, Hope Uzodinma of being the brains behind the evil plot.
“The Coalition wondered why the IG of police who was appointed to serve and protect the citizens chose to be part of this plot by a Party that has failed Nigerians for eight years and is now scared to lose next year’s election.
“CUPP urged Police IG to show his readiness to be trusted to police free and fair elections by ensuring that Imo Police command is not aiding Governor Hope Uzodinma Imo APC government in their plot to silence the truth about the voters register compromise.
“CUPP vowed that any attempt to abduct any of its leaders will be seriously resisted. CUPP stated unequivocally that its officials will not be intimidated into silence and calls on Nigerians to hold the Nigerian Police responsible should anything unbecoming befall its spokesperson and Hon. Geff Orjinika.”
The statement further read, “I have been reliably informed that the Nigerian Police and Imo Police Anti-kidnapping Unit, in particular, are planning to abduct Ikenga Ugochinyere and Hon. Geff Ojinika use trumped-up charges before a magistrate court to silence the Opposition from exposing more shocking details on those who compromised the voters’ Register and perfected an evil plot to rig the 2023 election which would have thrown Nigeria into Election related crises.
“The voters’ register is a public document meant to be pasted publicly as stipulated in the Electoral Act and not a secret document.
“The Police IG must show his readiness to be trusted to police free and fair elections by ensuring that the Imo Police command is not aiding Governor Uzodinma, the Imo APC government in their plot to silence the truth about the voters’ register compromise.
“How can we have a police force that instead of going after criminals who compromised the Voters’ register is busy looking for the source of the leakage of the information that has saved democracy?
“Voters’ register is a Publicly displayed document as required by Section 19 of the Electoral Act and not a secret document. This action of the Police is embarrassing and can destroy the credibility of the 2023 election.
“The question on the lips of every Nigerian is whether the Nigeria Inspector General of Police is aware of these developments.
“Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere should be commended for the patriotic interventions he has been making on our democratic processes as opposition spokesperson and not threatened with abduction or to be abducted. We will not accept that.”