The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed apprehension over its electoral victories in Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom states, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenges the results at the tribunals.
At a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said it’s worrisome that even in victory, the APC has remained desperate in the desire to be in total control of the polity by attempting to take over the states genuinely won by the PDP.
“You will recall that we had earlier alerted Nigerians to a groundswell of plots by the APC to foist a one party rule in our country by attempting to destabilise the PDP, take over some of our states and legislative seats, all to ensure that there is no strong opposition when they eventually assume power.
“As we speak, the APC has resorted to instigating crisis, inciting the people while mobilising resources to arm-twist the judiciary, ostensibly to torpedo the will of the people in these states.
“In particular, our findings show that in Delta, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom states, the APC machinery is working round the clock to ensure that it upturned the victory of the PDP and the mandate freely given to us by the people in these states”, Metuh said.
The party claimed to be aware of clandestine moves by the APC to procure and compromise some stakeholders in the elections, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security personnel to bear false witness and doctor electoral materials against the PDP at the tribunal.
“This is in addition to sponsoring negative publications in some section of the media, laced with false claims and distortion of election figures to suit their nefarious plans of swaying public opinion and the course of justice against our party in these states.
“We know that the main aim behind APC’s desperation to take over these three states is their belief that they are strategic to the PDP and that taking them away will further weaken and undermine our party and accelerate the quest for a one-party state in our country.
“However, the PDP wishes to state in very clear terms that we will not accept any attempt by anybody whatsoever, especially the APC to manipulate the process and rob us of our clear victories in these states or any other state for that matter”, Metuh added.
The party warned the APC not to take its civility, “driven by patriotic zeal” for peace, unity and harmony in the country for granted, adding that its members across the country were willing and ready to defend the party’s mandate in the three states, using all available instruments within the ambit of the law.
Metuh continued: “As a party that has made history by nurturing democracy for 16 years, and elevating it to a standard appreciated by the democratic community the world over, we cannot fold our hands and watch while the gains are being undermined by the APC and its agents.
“It is on this note that the PDP draws the attention of the judiciary, INEC and security authorities to the heinous scheme by the APC to drag their institution and men into these criminal plots.
“In view of the above therefore, we urge these institutions to closely monitor its officials involved in the elections and do everything within the law to safeguard their reputation against the acts of a few greedy and dubious individuals.
“Finally, while we note that the APC should be held responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order in Rivers, Delta and Akwa-Ibom states, we charge the people not to relent but to stand up and defend their mandates and use all means allowed by the law to ensure that their will, expressed through the ballot box is not thwarted by desperate and greedy enemies of democracy”.
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