Postponement: PDP Urges Nigerians Not To Buckle Before Anti-Democratic Forces

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vehemently rejected the sudden postponement of the February 16 Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), few hours before the commencement of polls. It described the decision by INEC as a grand plot to give the All Progressives
Congress (APC) and the Buhari Presidency the space to perfect their
rigging plans, which have been resisted by Nigerians to this point. The PDP as well called on the international community to note what is happening in Nigeria and hold President Buhari as well as the APC responsible
should there be any breakdown of law and order in our country. Party spokeperson, Kola Ologbondiyan at a pressconference in Abuja on Saturday reeled out loses incured by the PDP and several millions of Nigerians as a result of the polls rescheduling. He said “our party and the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have worked very hard in readiness for the election; our members and supporters, in their millions and generality of Nigerians that are eager to participate in the democratic process had already moved close to their polling units in readiness to vote and to defend their votes. ” In some cases, Nigerians were already at their polling units in orderly
queue in the hope to vote out the incompetent administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari. “Countless of patriotic Nigerians and families had spent huge resources
and made exhaustive sacrifices in travelling to their various polling
areas to vote for their consensus candidate, Atiku Abubakar, only for
INEC to announce this devastating postponement. “Nigerians have lost trillions of naira, risked their lives on the road
and in the air as well as faced other huge loses just because President
Buhari is bent on perpetuating his inordinate quest to remain in office”. According to the party, the public space is replete with how the Buhari Presidency mounted pressure on INEC leadership to postpone the election at the dying minute, so as to place more burdens on voters and frustrate their enthusiasm for the election Further castigating the APC administration for culpability in the postpone, Ologbondiyan said ” President Buhari in his desperation for power has again exhibited his insensitivity to the sensibilities of Nigerians, particularly in his deceitful attempt to heap blames on INEC for a plot that was hatched and executed by his Presidency. “It is instructive to state that the reasons given for the postponement,
including the logistic challenges in the distribution of sensitive election materials, as well as security concerns, were all the machinations of the APC and the Buhari Presidency to create confusion and arrive at a predetermined end, which is to rig the election. ” The APC and the Buhari Presidency, having realized that they have no
chance of winning had continued to prepare the ground by inciting acts
of violence in various parts of the country, issuing threats to election
observers, using the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, to escalate a sense of insecurity, burning INEC offices to
paralyze its operations as well as using government officials to openly
mount pressure on the commission to shift the elections. “This is in addition to the compromising of government facilities and
agencies to frustrate the distribution of sensitive election materials
including results sheets in various states; the provocative substitution of already trained INEC polling officials with APC members as well as the deployment of security forces to simultaneously arrest PDP leaders and supporters, particularly in Kwara, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Kogi, Bayelsa among other states in order to create a sense of national insecurity and trigger violent resistance by the people. ” APC’s new plot is to escalate series of challenges that will eventually paralyze INEC’s operation in some states so as to stagger the election and pave way to isolate certain critical states, after which it will use compromised security agents to muzzle the polls in those states in favour of President Buhari”. The PDP said INEC and the Buhari Presidency have only succeeded in postponing the evil day for their candidate, President Buhari. Nigerians will never adjust in their resolve to resist the APC rigging plans and serve President Buhari his defeat certificate at the polls any day, any time. He said the party stands with Nigerians at this critical moment and urge
them to stand together in the overall interest of our nation. The party appreciates the sacrifices and commitment made by Nigerians in the pursuit of a new leadership in our country; we understand the pains and distress they are passing through at this moment due to this postponement. Nevertheless, the PDP urged Nigerians not to despair or allow their resilient spirit be subjugated at this crucial time. We must pick up ourselves against all odds and stand firm for the future of the nation. It directed all its members and supporters to remain calm and encourage one another at this critical time. ” We all must stand together in preparation for the final push next Saturday. We must never give up until victory is assured. “Nigerians will never surrender to President Buhari’s anti-democratic forces that want to subjugate our people and derail our hard-earned democracy. President Buhari should therefore perish the thought of rigging this election or achieving a self-succession bid”, he said.