As the results of the presidential polls were being announced in Abuja, yesterday, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, rejected the results, alleging irregularities.
Indeed, the legal team of the PDP has summoned an emergency meeting, according to The Cable.
The meeting is expected to discuss the next line of action.
The notice of meeting was sent by Kabir Turaki, former Minister of Special Duties who unsuccessfully sought the presidential ticket of the PDP for the election.
The meeting, held at the Legacy House, Abuja on Monday.
Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, told invitees to “appear in person” as there will be “no representation please.”
“The legal works are about to begin,” a senior PDP official said.
The outcome of all the previous elections, apart from the 2015, were challenged in court, although Olu Falae withdrew his case against President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 after the intervention of prominent Nigerians.
President Buhari challenged all the previous elections he lost — in 2003, 2007 and 2011.
In 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan took the unprecedented step of conceding while the final result was yet to be announced.
Rejecting the results of the presidential polls at a press briefing in Abuja, the PDP said it discovered “irregularities” in the results being announced by the INEC.
For instance, PDP cited the cancellation of 157, 591 votes in the Presidential election in Nasarawa State by the INEC.
National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus said the party was armed with original vote figures announced across the polling units nationwide.
“With the INEC IT server hacked by agents of the APC to manipulate results, we can with certainty state that results from the following polling units have, for example, been tampered with, “Sarkin Dawaki ward in Doma, Doka ward in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State; Agyaragin – Tofa ward 10, 000 illegal votes added to already announced results in Wurno Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
“Additionally, violent and destructive attacks have been meted out to officials during counting at Lafia and police barracks polling units.
“I want to categorically state that our agents at the collation centres have all original results from every polling unit, in every ward, in every local government area in Nigeria, of which the international community is well aware, implying all results currently being announced by INEC are incorrect thus unacceptable to our party and people.
“Secondly, officials of both President Buhari’s government and the All Progressives Congress working with INEC officers, have tried to alter the course of history and disenfranchise our people through the cancellation and manipulation of figures for results already announced at polling units, nationwide, in local government areas where our party, the PDP, had commanding votes.
“The ruling party’s strategy has indeed been murderous, undignified, and disrespectful of the wishes of the electorate, our people and the international community who have been in solidarity with our nation as we attempt to strengthen our democracy and its institutions,” he said.
Secondus also expressed worry that “in full view of the watching world, and despite efforts by our great party and its agents to adhere to every laid-down provision for the 2019 general elections, the APC in collusion with INEC have taken aggressive steps, mostly through inducements, manipulation and incarcerations, using the elements of state power including the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army in particular, alongside other organizations including the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to silence the voices of our long suffering people; this is disheartening, considering the terms of the peace accord, which called for impartiality and non-partisanship by members of our security organisations with constitutional roles to play during this civic exercise.”
The PDP chair added that “as results trickled in on Sunday, February 24, 2019, clearly putting the PDP in the lead, the ruling party and President Buhari dispatched high-ranking officials to coercively influence outcomes in different geopolitical zones in the country.”
He alleged that “Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazzau was dispatched to the North-West of the country; Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha was dispatched to the North East of the country; while the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami was dispatched to the South-East and South-South regions,” ostensibly to compromise the process.”
The spokesperson of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, on Monday, urged Nigerians not to be intimidated by the ‘antics’ of the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It also urged Nigerians to disregard fake election results being circulated on social media.
Mr Keyamo alleged that the PDP is plotting to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from completing the process of the February 23, Presidential Elections.
Mr Keyamo through a statement he signed, also alleged that the aim of the PDP is to declare false results in the social media “in favour of its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as the winner”.
“However, we urge our international friends, observers and patriotic Nigerians not to be deceived. Very early in the build-up to the elections, the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate embarked on a cynical plan to discredit INEC as a backup plan in the likely event of them losing the election,” Mr Keyamo said
“You would recall, in this respect, unsubstantiated and wild claims made by the PDP Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his cohorts that were all designed to put a question mark around INEC and damage the faith of the electorate in the democratic process,” he added.
He congratulated the INEC domestic and foreign observers for the conduct of a peaceful free and fair election.
He urged the missions not to be deceived by the PDP “as their motive is to discredit the work of the electoral commission”.
According to him, the APC is confident that the results released by INEC are free and fair.
“Overall and from reports received in the Situation Room of the Election Planning and Monitoring Directorate of the All Progressives Congress from across our country, at this point it is safe to conclude that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has done a good job despite the challenges and the delays experienced in some cases.”
He warned the opposition party not to play on the sensibilities of Nigerians.
“This is an assault on our democracy; it is an affront to millions of Nigerians who trooped out to exercise their civic duty by voting in the elections. The PDP is, in essence, and most, unfortunately, saying that if they don’t win fairly then, they are willing to tear down the walls to get their way by hook or by crook.
“In spite of this unjustifiable and provocative stance, we are confident that the results by INEC are free and fair. Our elections have progressed over the years, and we ask that the PDP does not derail us to the dark past with its childish antics.”
