APC Plunging Nigeria into Violence, Anarchy, Says PDP

• Rejects results of Kaduna LG polls

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of pushing the country to its brink, alleging that the ruling party has been fuelling actions that instigate bloody conflicts and breakdown of law and order among Nigerians.

PDP has also condemned the outcome of last Saturday’s local council election held in Kaduna State, describing it as fraudulent.

The party said it was terrified by the spate of violence, mayhem, bloodletting and massive corruption associated with APC both in governance and its internal activities.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said APC had turned an ordinary congress to elect its officials to a threat to our democracy.

“Since its emergence, the APC and its leaders have continued to drag our country towards a state of anarchy by engaging in actions that instigate bloody conflicts and breakdown of law and order among Nigerians, including in their fold as a party,” it said.

The opposition party said Nigerians had watched with bewilderment and disbelief as indescribable savagery, cruelty, violence, shooting and bloodletting enveloped the APC ward congress, which ordinarily should be a civil interaction among party members.

“From the rascally attempt to overrun a court of competent jurisdiction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to halt the wheel of justice, the burning of their own secretariat in Owerri, Imo State, the gruesome murder of their own members in Lagos and Oyo States to the malignant disputation and lust for power by its leaders across the nation, it is clear that the APC is not organic but a soulless mob without any form of conscience and integrity; an ‘evil wind that blows no good.’

“Party congresses are designed to allow members interface and resolve divergences amicably. It is therefore instructive that the APC could not actuate this simplest tradition of political parties, making its congress a threat to our democracy.

“APC has become a symbol and harbinger of malevolence, which, by every indication, is on a sordid throttle of taking our nation to the long forgotten state of nature where only the mighty rules; the state of anarchy.

“From its cannibalistic proclivities, the world can see why the APC and its insensitive federal government care less about the lives and welfare of Nigerians, resulting in the escalation of violence, bloodletting, mass killings, extra-judicial executions, persecution of citizens, abuse of human rights, constitutional violations, including invasion of the National Assembly as well as attack on federal lawmakers and judicial officers. We now know the roots of APC’s harsh economic policies and massive corruption that led to the biting economic recession and its attendant hunger, starvation and lack ravaging our nation today.

“Nigerians are now on a consensus that things can only get worse with the APC owing to its proclivity for vengeance, violence and repression,” said PDP.

The party charged Nigerians, irrespective of creed, class or sectional persuasion, to be at alert, look beyond personal interests, rise in unison and use all democratic instruments to stop the APC in this dangerous drive to further wreck our nation and plunge it into a state of anarchy.

“On our own part, the rebranded PDP remains open as the credible platform for all Nigerians to coalesce in the collective quest to rescue our nation from the clutches of the APC and the President Buhari-led administration, come 2019,” it added.

Meanwhile,  the PDP has rejected the results from the local government elections in Kaduna State.

A statement issued by its spokesman described the exercise “as highly provocative, fraudulent and completely indefensible the alteration of final results and declaration of the APC as winner in areas clearly won by the PDP in the Kaduna State local council elections held on Saturday.

“From the reports of results at the polling centers, it is clear that the PDP defeated the APC in most of the areas where elections held across the state, including Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s ward where the PDP led with over 90 per cent of the votes cast.

“The result of this election is a clear testimony of our popularity in the state. As such, PDP rejects the fraud by Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) in altering the results in favour of APC.

“It is totally intolerable for KADSIECOM, working in cahoots with the discredited APC, to engage in the manipulation of the collation process by changing the figures and announcing final results that are different from figures tallied at the polling centers,” it said.

According to PDP such daylight robbery by the APC is absolutely unacceptable, particularly, given the precarious security situation in the state.

“We have preponderance of instances where final electoral officers were whisked away to unknown destinations by agents of Kaduna State government, aided by security agencies, while fake results are being announced in favour of the APC.

“For instance, while voters and party agents were still waiting for the return of electoral officer, Mr. Elisha Gandu at the Kajuru Local Government secretariat where results from polling centers show that the PDP won 9 out of the 10 wards, the Nagarta Radio was busy announcing APC as winner.

“This is the situation in most of the final results so far announced by the commission and we cannot accept such.

“We want the APC and KADSIECOM to note that the PDP has eyes everywhere, monitored the entire balloting processes at all levels and know directly how all the parties, including our great party, the PDP performed in all the polling centers across Kaduna state.

“KADSIECOM Chairman must note that the entire world is watching and history beckons as she makes her decision to stand either on the side of truth, justice and honour or on the side of corruption, treachery and infamy,” said the party.