INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu (left) and National Chairman, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus
————————————————————————————————————-
By Andrew Onyejuruuwa
In a strong reaction and rejection of the sudden postponement of the general elections in Nigeria, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, has said that shoddy arrangement for the election by INEC was a deliberate pre- determined agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari to cling to power even when it’s obvious to him that Nigerians wanted him out.
The PDP Chairman in a statement shortly after INEC announced the postponement warned that the party would not accept anything short of a well organised electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and the opposition, particularly members of the PDP. The statement, which was made available to the press by his media aide, Mr. Ike Abonyi, insisted that the postponement was part of a grand design by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to thwart the will of Nigerians at all cost, adding that it clearly exposes INEC as a failure. The PDP therefore demanded the immediate resignation of INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
“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. The National Chairman (of PDP) said that the APC in connivance with the INEC have been trying all options including but not limited to burning down INEC offices in some states and destroying of electoral materials to create artificial problems upon which to stand for their dubious act.”
Secondus said that the party was aware of all the pressures from the APC and the federal government to arm twist INEC to dance to their new strategy after their earlier strategies failed. Again he stressed, “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.”
