The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will strongly resist any attempt by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the July 14 gubernatorial polls in Ekiti State.

Speaking in Port Harcourt on Thursday at the flag off of the party’s local government election campaign, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus warned that any attempt to rig the election will spell serious crisis that could threaten the unity of the country.

While commending the security men and agencies for protecting lives and property, Secondus stressed that any plot to use them to influence the outcome of the polls will be resisted, urging them not to be deceived or be used to manipulate the election.

Secondus said: “We warn that if you attempt to rig Ekiti, it will be a recipe for crisis and we don’t know whether there will be Nigeria or not.

“We are bold to say it because you cannot take the peoples’ rights, you cannot deny them of their votes and that is what we are saying and we want the APC to say the same that it will be one man, one vote, one woman, one vote, one youth, one vote.

“We will never allow an individual to destroy this nation or to destroy our state. If you like wait for us, we refuse to be intimidated. We are marching forward to win the election at the national level in 2019.”

Although other parties have fielded candidates for the Ekiti governorship election, it is expected to be a straight fight between incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, Prof. Olusola Kolapo of the PDP and the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the APC.