Uche Secondus
By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA— National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has said the party’s lack of confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct credible polls has not changed.
Secondus, who spoke at the party’s headquarters, Abuja, while playing host to a delegation of the European Union, EU, Election Exploration Mission to Nigeria, led by Niclay Paus, claimed that findings by the party revealed that the ruling party has perfected plans to work in sync with the electoral umpire to manipulate the process.
In a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, Secondus said what happened at the governorship election in Osun State recently was an indication that INEC’s neutrality remained questionable.
He noted that though Amina Zakari, a director at the commission was deployed from operations department recently, the PDP wanted her sacked.
“She is capable of influencing others within the electoral body,” Secondus said.
“When we eschewed violence after the electoral theft in Osun State and decided to excise our right to peaceful protest, Inspector-General of Police directed his personnel to tear gas us, notwithstanding the personalities involved in the protest- the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representstives, five state governors and National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee, NWC, and other critical leaders.
“Our fear is strong that the APC and the administration are not disposing themselves for a peaceful 2019 general election and we base our position on the multiplicity of induced crisis across the country.”
He charged international partners of Nigeria, especially the EU and America, to bring their influence to bear on INEC to conduct credible and acceptable elections, adding that anything short of that would incur the wrath of the people.
Earlier in his remarks, Paus said the delegation was at the party’s secretariat to ascertain the level of preparedness of the PDP for the general elections.
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