The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has uncovered a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to disrupt and derail next year’s general election. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, said part of the plot is to unleash attack on the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and destroy materials to be used in the conduct of the election.
Ologunagba stated that the violent attacks on INEC offices across the country were aimed to trigger nationwide security emergency situation, instill fear and make it appear un-conducive to conduct elections in the country. He noted that the commission’s offices were attacked in Ogun, Osun and Imo States “where sections critical to the conduct of elections, particularly those connected to the collection of permanent voters cards (PVCs) were targeted and destroyed.” According to him, the attacks were orchestrated by the APC, alleging that there plans to attack states like Kogi and Delta, some states of the South East as well as parts of the North.
“Intelligence available to our party indicates that the attack on INEC facilities is to prevent newly-registered voters from collecting their PVCs; destroy the PVC’s so that they will not be available for collection in INEC offices, and thirdly, destroy INEC equipment and cripple its capacity to conduct elections.
“In addition, the APC has introduced a very disturbing dimension of ‘purchasing’ PVCs from unsuspecting Nigerians through monetary inducement masquerading as empowerment programmes.
“The aim of the APC was to hit our nation with violence and mislead security agencies to direct their investigation on criminal elements and social restiveness, instead of the real culprit, the APC.
“They designed it to create tension across the country to validate a narrative that elections cannot hold, then orchestrate a constitutional crisis with a view to justifying a shifting of the elections and perpetuate certain APC elements in office beyond May 29, 2023,” he added.
Ologunagba stated that the alarm by INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, that the several attacks, if it goes into January and February, might be difficult for the commission to recover before the general election, confirmed PDP’s fears.
“This is because if you look at Section 134 of the Constitution, it has threshold that a candidate must meet before that candidate can be declared winner of any election.”
The PDP spokesperson described as disturbing that the APC presidential candidate has not issued any caution against the many acts of violence allegedly linked to members of his party, adding: “His body language and comments suggest the condoning of the ongoing violence on our electoral process.” He added that it was an “acceptance of electoral defeat which apparently accounts for the APC’s presidential candidate’s decision to boycott the signing of the National Peace Accord by presidential candidates in the 2023 elections.”
Ologunagba called on security agencies to take immediate steps to investigate and stop the APC on the plot to derail democratic process. The PDP spokesperson equally called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call Tinubu and his party members to order so that Nigerians could peacefully choose their next president through a free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process.
“The choice of who becomes the president of Nigeria rests on the will of the people through the free exercise of their votes. Tinubu must accept the fact that Atiku Abubakar is more popular and possesses the competence, requisite experience, presence of mind, mental alertness, physical stamina and political will that Nigerians earnestly yearn for in a leader at this critical time.
“We, therefore, call on Nigerians to remain resolute in defending our democratic process.”
Credit: NEW TELEGRAPH.
