The All Progressives Congress APC has described as provocative and reckless, calls by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP on the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to declare its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar winner of Saturday’s Presidential election.
The APC in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu on Sunday in Abuja said; “The press statement dated February 24, 2019 by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is an unwarranted strike against democracy and the people of Nigeria.
“The PDP in that press statement, recklessly calls on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to arbitrarily name its candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar the winner of the presidential election. “This call is shameful and alarming. Unwilling to wait for INEC the constituted legal authority to complete its task, the PDP seeks a short cut by false and premature claims of victory.
This cannot stand. “Our nation is trying to perfect its democracy, not turn it into a mockery. Sadly, this objective is lost to the PDP. The PDP’s guiding principle is distilled to the following; because they want something, then they should get it.
What they use to guide themselves actually blinds them instead. Because they want the presidency so badly that they have engaged in all manner of misconduct and spared little cost to achieve their aim, they now believe that they are entitled to claim victory notwithstanding the vote and will of the people. But this is not the way of democracy. Democracy means the people choose for themselves not that the PDP chooses for them.
That may have been the way in the past when they engineered and kidnapped elections to achieve their desired end notwithstanding the true will of the people. Thankfully, those days are gone and gone forever. These elections are supposed to be democratic exercises not a platform for the PDP to impose their selfish designs on a hopeful nation. The PDP should honour and follow the sovereign will and sober dignity of the Nigerian people. The people patiently waited the additional week for Election Day to come.
The vast majority of people again exercised patience as they peacefully voted on Election Day. Unfortunately, isolated incidents of violence took place. We are deeply saddened by the violence and disruption that did occur. Nigerians died yesterday and that should never have happened and should never happen again during an election of any kind in our land.
Their deaths are needless tragedies that mar what was otherwise a celebration of our maturing democracy. Instead of the discordant and provocative statement it released, the PDP should be appealing for peace and for INEC to diligently and thoroughly perform the vital task assigned it.
Curiously, the majority of violent incidents and reports of electoral malpractice emanate from states which the PDP controls. It appears the PDP just cannot break from their old ways.
Vanguard
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