The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday staged a protest to the Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Committee (INEC), Abuja, to demand for free, fair and credible elections in 2019.
The protest led by the party National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, also demanded that PDP candidate in Osun governorship election be declared winner of the election.
Secondus said all that the PDP wanted was free and fair elections.
He urged INEC not to set the country apart with incredible elections, saying “the least we are expecting from you is to conduct free and fair elections.”
He also demanded for the resignation of the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu and the National Commissioner INEC in-Charge of Operations.
The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki advised INEC to be courageous and stand for the truth and not an individuals or party.
Saraki said that PDP was not demanding any favour from INEC, but free and fair elections.
“Be courageous and bold to stand for the truth because tomorrow history will judge you. We stand here to say we don’t want favours, just give us free and fair election.
“Let me warn you INEC, Nigerians will not take elections that are not credible. Stand with Nigerians because you represent us, stand and be impartial because you are an independent commission.
“We are here to demand that you do the right thing, free and fair elections 2019 for the unity and peace of this country,” Saraki said.
The Governor of Ekiti and the Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, Ayodele Fayose, said that rigging would not work in 2019, urging INEC not to take away the rights of Nigerians, saying that Nigeria belonged to all Nigerians.
“The damage done to our democracy and by extension the common man is enough.
If the people cannot choose their leader anymore, then we are in trouble.
“We are not asking for favours, this country and this INEC belong to Nigerians and Nigerians must be respected by allowing them to make a choice,” Fayose said.
The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal urged INEC Chairman to do the right thing to protect his good records.
“I believe that as Chairman of INEC before this temporary assignment, you have a history and you have a record. Don’t allow anybody no matter how highly placed to use you to undermine the wills of Nigerians.
“You cannot suppress us, you cannot intimidate us. Elections in Nigeria must be held freely and fairly, and whoever wins should be given the mandate. That is what we want and we shall take nothing less,” Tambuwal said.
Also speaking, Sen. Dino Malaiye, representing Kogi West said they were at the commission to remind INEC that it was for all Nigerians and all political parties.
Dino added that PDP, as a responsible party, had agreed to do everything within the ambit of law under peaceful presentation to reclaim its every stolen mandate.
“The electoral impunity, the political acrobatism, the embarrassment and intimidation of opposition in Nigeria is enough.”
INEC National Commissioner in-charge of Legal Services, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, responding on behalf of INEC, commended the party leaders and protesters for the peaceful demonstration.
Agbamuche-Mbu said that the Commission took the protest serious and all their requests noted.
“INEC is up to this job, we are all here in INEC as professionals and not politicians. We are going to do our best come 2019.
“I must say we are a team and decisions are made by the commission and not by any individual.
“All your comments have been noted and it will be passed to the chairman and the entire commission,” Agbamuche-Mbu.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters thereafter left INEC for the Nigeria police headquarters, where they were denied access and tear gassed.
Others at the protest were some PDP presidential aspirants and members of the party National Working Committee. (NAN)
Saraki faults Police Claim on PDP’s Peaceful Protest in Abuja
Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu has debunked the police statement in reaction to the protest.
In a statement, Saraki said: “Our attention has been drawn to the blatant lies contained in a press release issued by the Nigeria Police this afternoon over the protest match staged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja against the infamous roles that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police have been playing in recent elections across the country, particularly in the Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections.
“The Police in their statement made various forms of spurious, unfounded and false claims about the protest in which they singled out three senators, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce, of the many leaders of the PDP, including three Governors, a former Governor, presidential aspirants and members of the national working committee, and accused them of involvement “in the disturbance of public safety, unlawful blockade of Shehu Shagari Way…., causing innocent people to scamper for safety and violent attack on Policemen posted to ensure security of Force Headquarters, pushing and hitting the policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquaters, pushing and hitting the policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to cause damage to Police Equipment and properties”.
“After carefully reading the Police statement, one cannot but describe the claims made in it as laughable, crude and another low point in the posture of the police against the opposition in the country.
“In exercise of their constitutional right of assembly, expression and movement, leaders of the PDP decided to stage a peaceful procession from the party’s campaign office on Ibrahim Babangida Way to INEC and Police Headquarters. The procession consisted of the Senate President, the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, presidential aspirants, members of the National Assembly, Governors of Ekiti and Sokoto States. Later, the Governors of Taraba and Gombe States joined the procession.
“The purpose was to express the opposition of the PDP to the manner in which the electoral body and the security agencies had been colluding with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate election results and subvert the will of the people, as evidenced by the conduct of the gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun State. We wanted to send a clear signal that such official subversion of the will of the people in favour of the APC should not be repeated in the 2019 elections.
“At the INEC secretariat, the procession spent over 40 minutes where the various leaders addressed the crowd in the presence of two National Commissioners of INEC, including the one in charge of legal matters, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu. The two INEC commissioners equally responded to the complaints raised by the PDP leaders. It was a civilised, frank and enlightened exchange, devoid of any rancour.
“The procession then headed towards the Police Headquarters while being hailed on the streets by ordinary Nigerians who came out to cheer the leaders standing in an open van. From the Eagles Square end, the procession was on the other side of the road going to Police Headquarters. The procession did not even get to the point where it will turn to the side where the Police Force Headquarters is located when the police rained tear gas on the people. They deliberately targetted the open vans in which the Senate President and other VIPs were standing.
“The procession quickly diverted to the Area 11 Junction leading to FCDA. The diversion was done to avoid a repeat of the 2003 event in which a similar tear-gassing event led to the death of a former Senate President, Senator Chuba Okadigbo.
“Let it be known that the hostile, brutal, needlesss, tactless and uncivil response of the Police under the present leadership of Mr. Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, to the peaceful, lawful and justified procession was in contrast to how the same police responded to a similar protest by the opposition in 2014.
“In 2014, the protesters then led by the Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), the candidate of the opposition party, were not attacked. They were tolerated and their grievances listened to by the police leadership. In 2014, it was the same Nigeria Police as we have today. The difference is the temperament and democratic credentials of the then administration, in general, and that of the Police leadership, in particular.
“The fabrications by the Police as contained in their press statement only show the new police leadership as mere jesters trying to hone their skills in comic script-writing. Every move of the PDP procession today was recorded by the media – Television, print, radio and online -, citizens, members of the civil society and the international community. These independent observers know that nothing is far from the truth than the claims made by the Police in their statement.
“It should be noted that the Police under Idris are simply setting the stage for another onslaught on members of the Nigerian Senate and that is why they singled out the Senate President and two other Senators as the people being invited and accused of all these false charges.
“It is clear that the Idris-led Police are intent on turning Nigeria into a police state and destroying members of the opposition at all cost and that is why they specialize in framing up leaders of the opposition and other outspoken legislators on false charges.
“This fresh attempt will fail. The invited Senators and their party will exercise their right at all times and in all cases. We know that Nigeria has not turned to a Banana Republic and we will not allow the Police under the present leadership to turn it to one, no matter the expertise for evil being displayed by its top personnel.”
