AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been annexed by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency just as has turned the country into a police state with fear everywhere.
The Party pointedly said it has reported President Buhari to the United Nations (UN), over plots by his Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC), to scuttle the conduct of the 2019 general elections, particularly, the presidential poll.
National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who led members of the National Working Committee to receive the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, in his office in Abuja on Friday, declared that Nigerians have lost confidence that INEC as presently constituted can guarantee credible polls in 2019.
The PDP, therefore, demanded for the resignation of the Chairman of the Electoral body, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and Mrs. Amina Zakari, who is a niece of President Buhari
The PDP said there is heightened tension across the country over the manipulations by the Buhari Presidency, adding that if the UN and the international community fail to intervene and support a credible, free and fair election, the country may witness an electoral stillbirth, capable of triggering violence and humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and the entire sub-Sahara region.
alerted the UN Security Council that President Buhari is already compromising the military and other security forces as tools to muscle the electoral process.
Secondus said; “President Buhari is not preparing for elections. He is not prepared for the rigours of any electoral exercise. Every well-intentioned politician goes out to the street to engage and persuade the people with his or her manifesto and policies, but President Buhari is not ready to engage anybody in contest of ideas; that is why he is desperate to compromise our military as a measure of limitless powers to rig.
“The world saw how our Service Chiefs participated in President Buhari’s campaign rally. There is no way these Service Chiefs will not be pushed to resort to self-help on behalf of President Buhari and his APC in the election. The UN Security Council should note this and intervene to save our democratic process.
“President Buhari has militarized our electoral process. In the July and September governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states respectively, in addition to various bye-elections, military equipment were rolled out to prevent the opposition from voting. Citizens were freely manhandled, arrested and subjugated by security agents, who openly worked for the APC. Today, in Nigeria, the PDP is contesting with security forces and not with the APC.
“Also, President Buhari has compromised our Police. As we speak, the Inspector-General of Police has sealed the Akwa-Ibom state House of Assembly and seized an arm of government, just like they did in Benue state in July. Our country has been turned into a police state and there is fear everywhere.
“Similarly, our Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been annexed by the Buhari Presidency. This is the reason it has not been able to conduct any credible election in the last three and half years.
“Our international partners must therefore insist and encourage a free, fair and credible electoral process. They must also caution against manipulation and other abuses that are capable of truncating our democracy and endangering the lives of Nigerians as a result of a failed electoral process,” Secondus stressed.
In his remarks, Mr. Chambas urged political stakeholders in the country to follow the rules to ensure a smooth electoral process in the 2019 elections.
