ABUJA — THE national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, raised alarm that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was plotting to take over Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta states where the PDP genuinely won.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, raised the alarm, arguing the PDP was ready for the love of the country to put behind it, cases of alleged election malpractices and anomalies that took place in some states in the north.

The party, which warned the APC not to take for granted its decision to concede defeat, alleged that the APC was planning to procure and compromise some stakeholders in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security personnel to doctor electoral materials against the PDP at the tribunal.

Metuh, who noted that as a party, it must not be treated as conquered people, however, threatened that it will not accept any move by anybody to manipulate the process and rob it of clear victories in these states or any other state.


He said the PDP never raised issues about the elections conducted in Kano and Katsina where there was no void vote and alleged cases of underaged voting.

The PDP spokesperson, while answering questions, said: “We have not tried to make an issue of how voting was done in some parts of the north apart from the under aged people that voted and the way these things happened. Have we traded in card readers, how many people it recorded in those states?

PDP must not be treated like conquered people
“Even in some states, we have no void votes. In some states of the north, for instance Kano, there was no single void vote in the entire state. So, they are so brilliant and they are doctorate degree holders that they know how to handle it to the point that nobody made a single mistake.

“So, please, this is a country, but we are not waiting to be occupied. Yes, we have been told that the majority of Nigerians voted for the other party. As democrats, we have accepted it. But even in our laws, even in our grieving, we do not want to be like fools. They should not be treating us like conquered people.

“The language they use on us, they way they are doing it, it is like they are army of conquerors not people who are ready to be guided by the tenets of democracy but instead have come to deal with a conquered people and a conquered party.

“We have sustained democracy for 16 years. They have not even taken over democracy and they are telling lies and trying to instigate things to put our democracy in jeopardy.

“We will continue to defend democracy. We wish them good luck in the four years they are coming in sustaining this democracy. But the way they are going about it, they are starting on a wrong footing.”
In his statement entitled, “APC’s heinous plot against the people’s will in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta States, Metuh said: “At the end of the 2015 general elections, our party’s leader, President Goodluck Jonathan in a rare show of statesmanship conceded defeat and congratulated the APC Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

“That singular action lowered the tension in the land, stabilized the polity and enhanced our global democratic credential and rating. In the same spirit, our gubernatorial and legislative candidates who lost at the elections also accepted defeat in keeping with the overall need to preserve our democracy and our unity as a people.

“These sacrifices from our candidates came notwithstanding the numerous anomalies and crass irregularities that characterized the general elections to the disadvantage of our party. The PDP took the outcome of the elections in good faith, not because the processes were without flaws but for the general interest of the nation.

“It is, however, worrisome that even in victory, the APC has remained desperate in the desire to be in total control of the polity by attempting to take over the states genuinely won by the PDP.

“You will recall that we had earlier alerted Nigerians of a groundswell of plots by the APC to foist a one party rule in our country by attempting to destabilize the PDP, take over some of our states and legislative seats, all to ensure that there is no strong opposition when they eventually assume power.

Instigating crisis

“As we speak, APC has resorted to instigating crisis, inciting the people while mobilizing resources to arm-twist the judiciary ostensibly to torpedo the will of the people in these states. In particular, our findings show that in Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, the APC machinery is working round the clock to ensure that it upturn the victory of the PDP and the mandate freely given to us by the people in these states.

“We are aware of the clandestine moves by the APC to procure and compromise some stakeholders in the elections including INEC and security personnel to bear false witness and doctor electoral materials against the PDP at the tribunal.

“This is in addition to sponsoring negative publications in some section of the media, laced with false claims and distortion of election figures to suit their nefarious plans of swaying public opinion and the course of justice against our party in these states.

“We know that the main aim behind APC’s desperation to take over these three states is their belief that they are strategic to the PDP and that taking them away will further weaken and undermine our party and accelerate the quest for a one-party state in our country.

We’ll resist any clandestine move

“However, the PDP wishes to state in very clear terms that we will not accept any attempt by anybody whatsoever, especially the APC to manipulate the process and rob us of our clear victories in these states or any other state for that matter.

“The APC must not in anyway take our civility driven by patriotic zeal for peace, unity and harmony in the country for granted. We want to state categorically that our members across the country are able, willing and ready to defend our mandate in these states using all available instruments within the ambit of the law.

“As a party that has made history by nurturing democracy for 16 years, and elevating it to a standard appreciated by the democratic community world over, we cannot fold our hands and watch while the gains are being undermined by the APC and its agents.

“It is on this note that the PDP draws the attention of the judiciary, INEC and security authorities to the heinous scheme by the APC to drag their institution and men into these criminal plots. In view of the above, therefore, we urge these institutions to closely monitor its officials involved in the elections and do every thing within the law to safeguard their reputation against the acts of a few greedy and dubious individuals.

“Finally, while we note that the APC should be held responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order in Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom states. We charge the people not to relent but to stand up and defend their mandates and use all means allowed by the law to ensure that their will expressed through the ballot box is not thwarted by desperate and greedy enemies of democracy.”

shakazuldadon:
Alleges

temitemi1:
We no go gree for them, we go only take back our presidency come 2019 from this bunch of evil pple! GEJ my HERO! FAYOSE my ROLE MODEL!!

Alonga:
Even Apc Governorship candidate in Delta that came out third position without winning his own ward he came out and cry foul on camera that the election was not free and fair,even if this election is done again apc cannot win one LGA in delta.

ba7man:
It appears this ur chant is getting stale.

ECOTERRORS:
APC can never win in any SS state, if Buhari trie to manipulate them in, then we should be prepared for Nigeria to export water instead of oil

theV0ice:


Forget Delta....not only does APC not stand a chance there, the gov election went relatively well and I can confirm Okowa won fair and square (was in Delta that week). APC can't challenge Okowa's election. Even Ogboru is wasting his time. Same can't be said for Rivers state where we see videos and reports of killings and other forms of extreme violence.

While I believe PDP would win gov in Rivers considering how Amaechi has been successfully demonised, I can't understand the need for the extremes Wike and PDP took the whole matter.

Why kill so many in an election you're poised to win? Why wipe out a family of a man (Chief Adube) when you know his opposition couldn't stop your victory? PDP, Wike and 'go-round' (PDP chairman) just wasted lives for nothing in Rivers state. APC would have gotten some assembly seats but PDP was sure to carry the day. Imagine almost every local and international observer confirming that NO ELECTIONS HELD IN RIVERS STATE. Then the card reader report will also make the job of the tribunal easier.

Akwa Ibom too is another state where they carried out totally unnecessary acts when they were also poised to win.

size40:
lol.... PDP love shouting unnecessarily. If they actually won elections in those states, why crying? In my state for example, Rivers state, no election took place in ward 12/13 in the just concluded governorship and state house of assembly. yet, inec awarded votes to wike in those wards. Instead of violence, tribunal is d best place to seek justice. so the PDP should understand this.

theV0ice:


[s]Forget Delta....not only does APC not stand a chance there, the gov election went relatively well and I can confirm Okowa won fair and square (was in Delta that week). APC can't challenge Okowa's election. Even Ogboru is wasting his time. Same can't be said for Rivers state where we see videos and reports of killings and other forms of extreme violence.

While I believe PDP would win gov in Rivers considering how Amaechi has been successfully demonised, I can't understand the need for the extremes Wike and PDP took the whole matter.

Why kill so many in an election you're poised to win? Why wipe out a family of a man (Chief Adube) when you know his opposition couldn't stop your victory? PDP, Wike and 'go-round' (PDP chairman) just wasted lives for nothing in Rivers state. APC would have gotten some assembly seats but PDP was sure to carry the day. Imagine almost every local and international observer confirming that NO ELECTIONS HELD IN RIVERS STATE. Then the card reader report will also make the job of the tribunal easier.

Akwa Ibom too is another state where they carried out totally unnecessary acts when they were also poised to win.[/s]

daveyjay:

And how is that your concern?!

PassingShot:


God bless you immensely for this comments; it has always been my position.

Why PDP chooses to rig even in an election it's poised to win is what I don't understand. How can they be so senseless in rigging that up to 90% voters turnout was recorded while recording about 85% of the votes for Wike. It was so unnecessary to go that line.

I never expected APC to win Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom but not to lose those elections scandalously to the extent that Dakuku was said to have scored that ridiculous votes in Rivers.

All PDP needed to do was to ensure that APC was unable to rig and they would have easily won those elections. Resorting to rigging only arms APC to go to tribunal because they can surely convince the tribunal of the massive rigging of PDP.

Lastly, PDP should stop blackmailing APC and Nigerians with GEJ's conceding of his loss. If they have good evidence they were rigged in any states, they should do the honorable thing by proceeding to tribunals. It is what the tribunals are established for. They need to grow up and stop threatening APC or Nigeria as a whole.

Clerverly:


You people should stop all these "poised to win" Wike and Udom Can never win Rivers and Akwa Ibom States in any free and fair elections! You are not ground! So stop allocating victories! The villagers, market women and artisans who form the bulk of the electorates are not on Nairarand!

If not, why are the PDP afraid Of Re-Run? Why the subtle black mailing of the APC? If they are so confident of Victories as you guys postulate here why the threat from Oliseh Metuh?

The same way they wanted us to believe that Rochas was not going to win any other election in Imo State but what happened? Pls let's wait for the Tribunal first!

Clerverly:


Are you on ground or rely on the evil rants by the Children of anger here?

If you must know, Wike, Udom can never win a free and fair election in Rivers and Akwa Ibom respectively! If you had taken time to digest the above rants by The PDP, you would have noticed that, it smacks of fear for any re-run that may be ordered by the tribunal!

If they were so confident of the re-run why the subtle threat and intimidation above? Remember Rochas Okorocha, the children of anger painted him blue and black, watered down his chances and made us believe Rochas can never be re relected, but what happened?

My brother Wike and Udom are goners unless the tribunal sustained their cases which I doubt!



The Re-Run elections would be different from the allocation of votes we saw in April! There will be no cover for Udom and Wike! Watch out!

PassingShot:


God bless you immensely for this comments; it has always been my position.

Why PDP chooses to rig even in an election it's poised to win is what I don't understand. How can they be so senseless in rigging that up to 90% voters turnout was recorded while recording about 85% of the votes for Wike. It was so unnecessary to go that line.

I never expected APC to win Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom but not to lose those elections scandalously to the extent that Dakuku was said to have scored that ridiculous votes in Rivers.

All PDP needed to do was to ensure that APC was unable to rig and they would have easily won those elections. Resorting to rigging only arms APC to go to tribunal because they can surely convince the tribunal of the massive rigging of PDP.

Lastly, PDP should stop blackmailing APC and Nigerians with GEJ's conceding of his loss. If they have good evidence they were rigged in any states, they should do the honorable thing by proceeding to tribunals. It is what the tribunals are established for. They need to grow up and stop threatening APC or Nigeria as a whole.

ba7man:
And was I talking to you?? Aproko.....over-sabi houseboy

theV0ice:


Cleverly, after spending over 12 years living in an okrika village in phalga ward 20 and over 10 years in an ikwerre village in obio akpor ward 1, I can confidently claim I know a little bit about rivers politics.

A rerun now will favour APC because my brothers don't play opposition politics or stay far from a centre controlled by hausa/Fulani but the election of April 11th was PDP's to lose. Of course it would have been close. Of course APC would have won substantial house of assembly seats but with the money Wike had spent and the mobilisation he'd done, it would have been a miracle for dakuku to have won at first ballot.

They built too much hatred for amaechi. The election wasn't even seen as wike vs dakuku but rivers vs amaechi.

theV0ice:


Cleverly, after spending over 12 years living in an okrika village in phalga ward 20 and over 10 years in an ikwerre village in obio akpor ward 1, I can confidently claim I know a little bit about rivers politics.

A rerun now will favour APC because my brothers don't play opposition politics or stay far from a centre controlled by hausa/Fulani but the election of April 11th was PDP's to lose. Of course it would have been close. Of course APC would have won substantial house of assembly seats but with the money Wike had spent and the mobilisation he'd done, it would have been a miracle for dakuku to have won at first ballot.

They built too much hatred for amaechi. The election wasn't even seen as wike vs dakuku but rivers vs amaechi.