APC stoking political crisis to stall 2023 poll – PDP

Tunde Opalana & Tom Okpe

Asks ruling party to perish tenure elongation plot

Accusation fake news, says APC, postpones Presidential screening exercise

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perish the thoughts of subverting the electoral process as part of its desperation to elongate its abysmal tenure beyond May 29, 2023.

The party therefore alerted Nigerians of an alleged plot by the APC to use orchestrated insecurity and political uncertainty to derail the electoral process, stall the 2023 general election and create a situation to justify a tenure elongation.

Party spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, on Sunday in Abuja, said: “There are revelations that desperate APC leaders are behind the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 so as to frustrate the smooth conduct of primaries by political parties and derail the entire electoral process.

“It is not surprising to the PDP that Mr. President was again “absent” having travelled to the United Arab Emirate and abandoned his constitutional duty of signing the crucial amendment to the Electoral Act.

“This attitude of Mr. President to an issue that is critical to our electoral system is consistent with APC’s plot to cause confusion in the polity, orchestrate an unconducive environment for elections, stall the 2023 general elections and achieve a rumoured third term agenda.

“The regularity of the electoral process as well as the confidence of the people in the certainty of timelines and outcomes of elections are the hallmarks of democracy, which the APC has been dislocating apparently with the view to undermining the electoral process.

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“It is clear that the APC has already commenced this ignoble plot with its desperation to use the Court to overthrow the outcome of the FCT Area Council election held on Saturday, February 12, 2022 which was overwhelmingly won by candidates of the PDP, halt the swearing in of the newly elected Chairmen and Councilors and impose an undemocratic government in the FCT.”

The PDP said it is concerned about APC’s exposed plot to deploy such despicable underhand methods to subvert elections in 2023 where they do not favour APC candidates.

“Moreover, it is now clear that the APC administration has been compromising our security system, opening our nation up to attacks and permitting shared sovereignty with terrorists over large portions of the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, apparently to further orchestrate a security situation that will justify the stalling of elections in 2023, DailyTimes gathered.

“This probably explains why President Buhari has failed to confront terrorists, contrary to his promise to lead the fight against terrorism from the front and why he remains “absent” and “weak” as terrorists pillage our citizens in various parts of the country.

“This is in addition to the provocative comments that have promoted disunity, agitations and restiveness in various parts of our country, including tagging a particular part of the country as “a dot in a circle”, the party added.

The PDP cautioned the APC to note that its plans has been exposed and that Nigerians will never allow it to perpetrate its misrule through an orchestrated tenure elongation.

It added that Nigerians are determined to vote out the APC and return the nation to the path of unity, stability and economic prosperity under the PDP.

“No amount of shenanigan can keep the APC in power beyond May 29, 2023,” said the party.

However, reacting to the accusation by the PDP that the APC is working towards stalling the 2023 general election, a chieftain of the ruling party, who is also the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Dr. Osita Okechukwu, described it as fake news.

Speaking with one of our Correspondents in Abuja on Sunday, Okechukwu said: “It is Fake News Incorporated. Far from the truth. My great party, APC, is the party to beat. Brand A1.

“In liberal democracy number is the game; therefore with 22 States, majority in National and State Assemblies, why should we fear scheduled general elections or off season elections? We are a law abiding political party unlike PDP that breaches its own constitution as per rotation of the president. We earnestly believe in the rule of law.”

Meanwhile, the APC has announced the postponement of its Presidential screening exercise earlier scheduled for today, Monday, 23rd May 2022.

According to a statement signed on Sunday night by the party National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said: “The Screening Exercise for Presidential Aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier scheduled to be held on Monday, May 23rd, 2022, is hereby postponed.”

The party said a new date for the exercise will be announced shortly, regretting inconvenience caused by this action.