The Peoples Democratic Party has questioned the conduct of some INEC officials and security agencies in the last Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement on Monday said the elections were characterized by widespread irregularities supported by certain INEC and security officials to the advantage of the APC and wondered if such officials were intimidated by APC’s blackmail and propaganda to deliver its candidates in the polls.
“Evidences abound of widespread irregularities across the country with INEC rejecting results from the strongholds of PDP candidates for no just cause while accepting the figures those of the APC. In Lagos, Adamawa, Plateau, Benue, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Imo states, there are proofs of electoral manipulations ranging from underage voting, ballot stuffing and intimidation of PDP supporters to alteration of some aspects of the process in favour of APC.
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“In Abia state, but for the outcry of the people and timely intervention of the INEC headquarters which rejected the illegal cancellation of results from three local governments and strongholds of the PDP by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) even after they have been announced by the returning officers, the PDP would have been robbed of its well deserved victory in those areas. “As a responsible party committed to national unity and democracy, our members have remained peaceful and orderly; our candidates have been conceding defeat in the interest of peace while we elect to channel our protest to the appropriate quarters. The same have not been seen of the APC, which has unleashed its members to cause mayhem and harass our supporters in states where PDP candidates clearly won, such as Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Ondo, Rivers and Gombe states.
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“While we urge INEC to take disciplinary actions against its erring officials, we strongly call to question the sincerity of some of the observers especially regarding their failure to raise issues on the irregularities that characterized the voting pattern in most of the states where APC candidates have been declared winner. “Finally, we invite Nigerians and the international community to note the emerging dangerous trend in our country. There are rising concerns that the APC may have commenced a systematic destruction of democratic institutions and culture, which the PDP successfully nurtured in the last 16 years. Indeed, we wonder if there is a deliberate attempt to also erode the discipline and professionalism of our security forces and entrench the culture of impunity our society,” the PDP stated. The party however, urged the citizens not to despair but to brace up and resist all anti-democratic and dictatorial tendencies noting that it is repositioning to stand by the people by providing a credible opposition and returning to power in four years time. The PDP therefore directed all its elected and appointed officials to be ready to make sacrifices, ensure judicious use of resources and gear up for a rescue mission in the overall interest of the Nigerian people.
