PDP To Buhari: Your Gloating Over APC Rigging Is Reckless
Ayuba Sanusi
- Demands International Sanctions, Travel Ban After May 29
THE opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described it as “unfortunate, reckless, unpresidential conduct and subjudice”, comments credited to President Muhammadu Buhari wherein he was quoted as saying the PDP and Labour Party (LP) lost the last 25 February presidential election due to overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves going into the exercise
President Buhari made the observation on Thursday at his residence in the Presidential Villa, Abuja when he received Progressive Governors Forum led by their Chairman, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State,
According to a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), the President was of the view that while the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) was working hard to retain power, the combined opposition was a victim of overconfidence – the main reason why he believed they lost.
The President said: “They were already telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC. Our Party blended confidence with caution, we worked hard and won.
“Now, their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else. They are finding it hard to convince those who supported them from the outside why they are unable to beat us.
“A combination of overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?”
However, addressing newsmen at the party secretariat Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba said the statement by Mr President was “already causing apprehension and capable of destroying our corporate existence as a nation”.
According to him, the 25 February presidential election was marred by brazen violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC Regulations and Guidelines; manipulation of processes, alteration of genuine results from Polling Units, the announcement of fabricated figures and climaxed by the vexatious declaration of the defeated candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Winner.
“The general despondency, resentment and anger across our country; the damning reports by election observers and the pervading international contempt against Nigeria since the declaration of the APC candidate as president-elect are ominous testaments that he does not have the mandate of the majority of Nigerians derivable only from a credible electoral process. “
Mr Ologunagba further stressed that “Nigerians and the International Community are therefore appalled, horrified and scandalized by the careless, unguarded and subjudice comment by President Buhari in which he attempted to justify the rigging of the 25 February 2023 presidential election by the APC under his watch.
“This statement reveals the utter disregard that General Buhari has for our Constitutional democracy, judiciary and the Will of the Nigerian people as expressed at the February 25, 2023, Presidential election.
“It is, to say the least, reprehensible for Mr President to posture and gloat over the trampling of the will of Nigerian, blame the opposition for being overconfident and, according to him, for not being “tactical”, perhaps enough to outwit the violence, brutality, threats, suppression of voters, rigging and election manipulations by the APC and the government which he heads.
The PDP further posits that it was unpardonable that President Buhari, who swore to uphold the laws of the country and made several commitments to the world to ensure free, fair, credible and transparent elections, is rather in approval of election rigging through manifest compromise of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) system and wide-spread alteration, falsification and switching of election results in favour of his party, the APC.
“President Buhari is practically gloating over the undermining of democracy by INEC which refused to transmit directly results from the Polling Units to its Server/Website and announce same, in total violation of the express provisions of Section 64 Sub-section 4 (a) (b) of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“More distressing is that after superintending over the rigging of the election, President Buhari, by his subjudice comments apparently seeks to bully, blackmail and influence the judiciary and the outcome of the petition pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, so as to allow his party, the APC and its candidate to “grab, snatch and run” with the people’s mandate.
While pointing out that Nigerians believed and expected President Buhari to leave a legacy of a free, fair and credible election based on his numerous undertakings and promises, the PDP says the President is leaving an ignoble, dishonourable and disgraceful legacy of enabling and superintending over the worst election conducted in the history of democracy in Nigeria.
“It is instructive to state that part of the electoral process is the adjudication by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which is considering petitions arising from the election. President Buhari, by his subjudice statement, is clearly interfering in the electoral process ostensibly to influence the outcome and undermine the constitutionally laid down procedures for change of government.
“Having clearly undermined democracy in Nigeria, the PDP calls on the International Community to accordingly impose sanctions including Visa bans and travel restrictions on President Buhari and his family immediately after he vacates office on May 29, 2023.
“This demand for sanction is in line with President Buhari’s request on February 17, 2022, in Brussels, Belgium, wherein he called on the European Union (EU) to impose “weighty sanctions” on those engaged in “unconstitutional change of governments” as well as those influencing the “process and outcomes of elections”.
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