The All Progressives Congress has raised the alarm over what it alleged was an open declaration by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to rig the Osun governorship election.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, in Abuja on Wednesday, the APC said the PDP exposed its plans in a statement it issued on Tuesday.
Nabena alleged that the PDP was prepared to deploy all “means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramification and magnitude to rig all coming elections, starting from the Osun State governorship election.”
According to Nabena, the PDP, in its statement, also “directed all its presidential aspirants to move all their political machinery into Osun state within this period.”
The APC said when it learnt of the “shocking disclosure,” it initially doubted its veracity and dismissed it as one of the fake news in circulation, until further checks, backed by media reports, confirmed that the statement was indeed issued by the PDP National Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The APC spokesperson said, “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 for use in the Osun governorship election.
“The PDP’s now public rigging plans is a red flag that requires urgent probe by the Independent National Electoral Commission 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.”
The APC statement further read, “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’s bye-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 take over 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.”
The APC reminded the PDP of new realities as “succinctly captured by President Muhammadu Buhari,” noting that “The old Nigeria is slowly but surely disappearing and a new era is rising.”
Nabena further said, “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.”
Source: Punch
