By Danlami Nmodu
The Peoples Democratic Party,PDP has called on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to within publish list of officials and ad-hoc staff to be used in the forthcoming general elections .
According to the statement posted on
the party’s website, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman made the call Tuesday
during a press briefing during which he alleged that his party has uncovered a rigging plot. He said “the PDP demands that INEC, within the
next 48 hours, publish the list of all officials and ad-hoc staff that will
play any form of role in the election at all levels for verification by
stakeholders
“Any delay or refusal by INEC to publish the list (within) 48 hours would be a clear acceptance that it has been compromised by the APC and this could lead to a very serious crisis with very dire consequences as the PDP will never allow anybody to rig it out in this election.
“The PDP wants Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
to note that the fate of our nation lies in his hands. It is left to him to
decide whether he would end as a national hero or as a villain.
“Furthermore, the PDP calls on the international community to place the INEC Chairman, Directors and Commissioners in INEC responsible for this election on their watch list and proceed to impose travel ban on them as well as hold them directly responsible should there be any form of rigging in the February 16, 2019 Presidential elections.”
Speaking earlier, he said the conference was called “to alert you of the fresh plots by the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the 2019 general elections for President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The PDP alerts Nigerians that INEC has been taking directives from the Buhari Presidency and the APC on how to manipulate our electoral process at various levels.
“To this end, INEC has collected a list of people that will serve as electoral officials, including ad-hoc staff and returning officers at the polling units, from APC state governors and candidates, across the federation, on the directives of the Buhari Presidency.
“The PDP is already privy to how the lists were populated with APC members and agents of the APC candidates, after clearance by the APC leaders in various states.
“The PDP vehemently rejects this wicked plot by the Buhari Presidency, which is tailored to ensure institutional manipulation of the electoral process, including accreditation, voting and collation of results at the polling units, which is the base of the elections.
“The PDP holds that by following the directive of the APC in such dubious rigging scheme, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, has violated section 29 (1) of the Electoral Act (as amended) and shows that he is in clear deficit of the required political will to conduct a credible, free and fair election.
“This is especially in the light of the boasting by agents of the Buhari Presidency and the APC to give the INEC Chairman what they describe as the “Onnoghen treatment”, and frame him, if he fails to comply with their rigging plans.”
Newsdiaryonline recalls that INEC and the Presidency have repeatedly assured Nigerians that the 2019 elections
would be free and fair.
