The All Progressive Congress (APC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is planning to rig the Osun State governorship and other elections, putting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies on notice.
The APC said on Tuesday that the “PDP has vowed to deploy all ‘means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramification and magnitude’ to rig all coming election, starting from the Osun State Governorship election. The party also ‘directed all its presidential aspirants to move all their political machinery into Osun state within this period.”
“When the All Progressives Congress (APC) learnt of the shocking disclosures, we initially doubted its veracity and dismissed it as one of the fake news in circulation, until further checks backed by media reports confirmed the statement was indeed issued by the PDP National Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan,” according to a statement by APC Acting National, Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena.
Nabena added: “The PDP’s statement on Tuesday is particularly worrisome because it coincided with the situation field report we received of the PDP cloning Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) for use in the Osun governorship election.
“The PDP’s now public rigging plans is a red flag that require urgent probe by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and relevant security agencies. We also call on well-meaning Nigerians and civil society organisations to speak out and resist the PDP’s retrogressive plan which threatens our democracy.
“Perhaps the PDP needs to be reminded that our democracy is maturing and its crude election rigging methods such as ballot box snatching (recently displayed during last weekend by-election in Kogi state), announcement of concocted election results and other anomalies are no longer acceptable in our elections.
“We are confident that the good people of Osun will resist the PDP’s deployment to takeover Osun State by force. The people’s will; the people’s vote is supreme. It must be respected and defended. That is democratic, progressive and the right thing.
“We conclude by reminding the PDP of new realities as succinctly captured by President Muhammadu Buhari, ‘…the old Nigeria is slowly but surely disappearing and a new era is rising…’. Unlike undemocratic practices under past administrations, elections under the APC administration are increasingly freer and fairer — a very significant feat in our march for lasting and representative democracy.”