Nigeria’s leading opposition party, thePeoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday, raised the alarm over an alleged underhand rigging plan of the 2023 general election by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
It raised the alarm in a statement by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, entitled: “APC has begun the rigging of 2023 Polls, Secondus screams…says INEC is abdicating its responsibilities.” The statement was signed by his Media Adviser, Ike Abonyi.
In it, he alleged that there were strong indications that President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the APC, are averse to conducting free, fair and transparent elections in 2023.
According to the statement: “Secondus noted that since the existing Electoral Act and the Constitution give unilateral powers to INEC to conduct credible elections in Nigeria, it does not need the National Assembly’s position to do its legitimate duties.
“From all indications, INEC is trying to abdicate its constitutionally assigned responsibilities of conducting free, fair and transparent elections hiding under the cover of delayed amended Electoral Act or rejection of e-transmission of results.”
Secondus was reacting to a media report at the weekend showing that the Independent National Electoral Commission, was stopping its procurement of E- voting machines ahead of 2023 because of the rejection of e-mode of transmission of results by the National Assembly.
He noted that if the same INEC could conduct governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states in September and October last year respectively; without the amended Electoral Act, it can still be done all over the country.
The statement said: “Nigerians and democratic observers globally are watching INEC ahead of 2023 and it will be disastrous if the Independent electoral body dances to the antics of the ruling party.”
It said that the PDP is readyP to do everything legal to ensure that the will of the people is not compromised in the 2023 elections.
The PDP chairman further urged Nigerians of all walks of life to work toward the conduct of free, fair and credible polls, adding that anything short of that would be disastrous for the nation.
