Rivers Rerun: APC’s manipulation is cause of abnormal polls in S/South – Makarfi replies Ganduje

The Sen Ahmed Makarfi-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday described the statement by the Kano State governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, that having free and fair elections in the South-south part of the country is abnormal, as a veiled threat that the forthcoming rerun elections in Rivers State will be manipulated by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party further asked the governor who doubles as Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Rivers State Re-Run Election Campaign Committee, to tender an apology to the people of the region, adding that the abnormality of elections in that region is due to the win-at-all-cost attitude of the APC.

The opposition party also added that the statement was an indictment against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Kano State governor had while answering questions from State House Correspondents last Friday, on the preparation of his Party, the APC towards the Re-run Elections in Rivers State said, “You know in that part of the Country having free and fair elections is not normal and we have to make it normal this time”.

Reacting however, the spokesman of the Makarfi-led PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said “This statement coming from the Governor is not only unfortunate, it is ridiculous and absurd to say the least. It is highly unbecoming of a Governor to make such an unguided statement that denigrate the people of the whole State and the South-South Region in general.

“The Statement is also a veil threat that the coming election in Rivers State will be manipulated as usual by the APC using the INEC and the security apparatus of State. If free and fair Elections have been “abnormal” in the Region according to the Governor, it is due to the manipulation and the win-at-all-cost attitude of the APC.

“This desperation of the APC to win at all cost was exposed by the recent decision of the Court of Appeal which upturned the Re-Run Election in Opobo/Nkoro State Constituency of Rivers State in favour of our Candidate, Mr. Diri Adonye; wherein the Appeal Court emphatically stated that the Election was massively rigged.

“Nigerians can now see who has been manipulating elections and causing the State of abnormality in the Region.

“Alhaji Ganduje’s statement is also an indictment on INEC because the Governor is saying in effect that INEC has never conducted a free and fair election in the Region and INEC should respond immediately to defend its own integrity.

“We are therefore calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to demonstrate its independence by ensuring that the forthcoming election in Rivers State is free, fair and credible. The Electoral umpire since the inception of this APC Administration has been wobbling from ‘Inconclusive Elections’ to ‘Advanced Rigging’ and we wish to urge INEC to graduate from this ‘macabre dance’ to conducting free and fair elections in order to regain the confidence and trust of Nigerians and the international community as a neutral and an unbiased umpire that it is supposed to be.

“We also call on Security Agencies in Nigeria to continue to maintain their Constitutional role and duty of protecting lives and properties in the Country and maintaining law and order during elections.

“In addition, we demand that Governor Ganduje of Kano State tender an unreserved apology to the good people of Rivers State and the South-South Region in general for this humiliating and undignified statement.

“Finally, we call on all our members, teeming supporters and the electorates in Rivers State to come out enmass on Saturday, the 10th of December 2016 to cast their votes in the remaining Re-Run Elections in favour of the Candidates of our Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Rivers State is home of the PDP and we are sure of victory in all the Re-Run Elections.”