Leon Usigbe
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged security agencies to beef up security around the offices and facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from any attacks ahead of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Deborah Ologunagba, the main opposition party alleged a sinister motive for the “sinking” All Progressives Congress (APC) to attack the facilities.
It said: “The PDP’s position is coming against the background of apprehensions in the public space of alleged plots by certain APC interests to launch a coordinated attack on INEC offices and facilities in various parts of the country to destroy the Commission’s BVAS machines to cripple INEC’s ability to conduct the elections.
“It would be recalled that our Party had earlier alerted of a series of designs by some frustrated and violence-inclined APC governors and the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign to cause the widespread crisis, truncate the elections, subvert our democracy and impose an undemocratic situation on our country, just because the APC has been rejected by Nigerians.
“Credible information available to our Party indicates that the said APC interests which are bent on scuttling the elections to avoid a humiliating defeat are allegedly mobilizing thugs to launch fresh attacks on INEC offices and its facilities where BVAS machines are located.
“Some prominent APC leaders including certain APC governors, having failed in their designs to have the elections postponed and having also been resisted in their plot to use their orchestrated cash scarcity to destabilize the nation, are now allegedly plotting to cripple INEC’s ability to conduct the elections by destroying the BVAS machines.
“These APC leaders and their apologists have revealed themselves as a clear and present threat not only to the electoral process but also to our corporate existence as a nation and must be resisted by all.”
The PDP, therefore, charged the security agencies to take all necessary steps to provide adequate protection for INEC facilities, equipment and personnel before, during and after the elections.
It also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to put all measures in place for free, fair, transparent and credible elections in keeping with his assurances to Nigerians and the International Community.
The PDP urged Nigerians to remain vigilant in “resisting the APC and the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign in their vicious plot to cause the crisis, derail our democracy and force an unconstitutional situation of Interim National Government on our nation.
“The APC and the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign must accept the fact that Nigerians will never be deterred from their resolve to vote in the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, to rebuild our nation from the disastrous misrule of the APC,” the party added.
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