2019 Polls Shift: PDP Kicks, Accuses INEC, Buhari, APC Of Shoddy Deals

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BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says no amount of shenanigan and underhand deals by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration will distract Nigerians from rejecting the ruling party in the now postponed general elections

National Chairman of the main opposition party, Prince Uche Secondus also alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s shoddy arrangements for this year’s election present a ‘deliberate pre-determined agenda’ of the President to hold onto power even when it is obvious that Nigerians no longer want him in office.

Prince Secondus, who was reacting to the decision of INEC to shift the election by one week, described it as part of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s grand design to frustrate the will of Nigerians at all cost,

He said the development clearly exposes INEC as a failure and therefore demanded the immediate resignation of its Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.

According to him, the PDP will not accept anything short of a well-organized electoral process that is free of manipulation, harassment, intimidation of voters and the opposition, particularly PDP members.

The Party Chairman said; “Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable.”

He said accused the APC of conniving with the Commission in its desperation as shown in acts such as burning down INEC offices in some states and destruction of electoral materials to create artificial challenges to prosecute for their dubious act.

In a statement from his media office and signed by Ike Abonyi, the PDP National Chairman claimed that the opposition party is privy to all the pressures from APC and the Federal Government to arm-twist INEC and ensure it dances to their new strategy after the earlier ones had failed.

According to him; “With several of their rigging options failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare them away.”

Prince Secondus said having earlier alerted Nigerians of plans by the APC to unleash its rigging strategies, including burning down of INEC offices and engineering crisis in PDP stronghold areas to scare away the people, the PDP totally rejects the postponement and sees President Buhari’s action as a further demonstration of his insensitivity to the yearnings of Nigerians.

He noted that INEC’s decision remains a sad commentary on the nation’s democracy given the huge material and financial cost-implications after Nigerians, including those in Diaspora, who returned home fully mobilized to their various constituencies for the elections.

The PDP Chairman said the evil killing of over 60 persons, mostly women and children in Southern Kaduna on the eve of the election, is a copious ploy by the APC to frighten the people away from voting knowing too well that they were not going to record any vote from the area.

Buttressing his allegations, Prince Secondus said; “Recall that the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir el-rufai had earlier threatened international election observers of going to their country in body bags and with the fatal violence in the state on the eve of  election, it is clear what the motives are, to frighten the observers from the state so that he can carry out his nefarious acts.

He further said it was regrettable despite his promise at the signing of peace accord that the election will be conducted in a fair and transparent atmosphere, President Buhari has been in breach of the peace accord by sending soldiers and other security agencies to arrest, harass and intimidate political opponents in Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, and Rivers states among others.

He said it was also important for all lovers of democracy to note President Buhari’s statement in the international media that nobody can unseat him from office as an indication of the evil he is bent on visiting on the country and the Nigerian people.

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