The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says that it is a sad commentary for President Muhammadu Buhari, who won election on a free ballot in 2015 to contemplate or bemoan how he could have used security agencies to undermine the integrity of the electoral process in our country.
President Buhari said in his opening remarks at the meeting of the Governors of the Northeast region and the nation’s Defence and Security Chiefs on Monday that “it is true that we lost some States as a ruling party in a developing country, which is normal. I am proud of that because we are impartial. That is why as a ruling party, we lost some States. That means we have our own mistakes.
“Some of those that defeated us are sitting here. We know we are a developing country but we respect our country. Otherwise, with the use of Army, the Police and the rest of them, we could have overrun you. We just wanted to show that we are humane and we are Nigerians. We will continue to do our best.”
PDP Spokesperson, Kola Ologbodiyan, said in a statement on Monday that “Nigerians are aware that in the 2019 presidential election, such despotic and oppressive tactics were deployed to circumvent the electoral process and the wishes of Nigerians. As a party, the PDP hopes this is not a foreplay of what the APC and Buhari Presidency is planning to exert in the Edo and Ondo governorship elections scheduled for September and October 2020 respectively.
“Nigerians witnessed the overrunning of Ekiti, Osun, Kogi, Bayelsa and Kano states by the APC using compromised security officials and thugs. In Kogi State, a police helicopter was used to disperse the electorate, who were on the queue to perform their civic duties on Election Day.
“Mrs. Salome Abuh, a frontline woman leader of the PDP, was burnt to death by members of the APC in the Kogi State election. Till date, no member of Mr. President’s party has been interrogated or arraigned for that murder. Contrary to Mr. President’s expressed concerns, Nigerians have never witnessed the level of electoral impunity seen under his administration.
“Nigeria is standing before the global community on Edo and Ondo governorship elections and the President must advise his party to allow INEC to carry out its responsibilities without interferences.”
