Abuja – Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, on Tuesday, said recent threats issued by President Muhammadu Buhari that ballot box snatchers would pay with their lives was directed at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).


He said Buhari issued the warning to sound a strong message against the long history of savagery associated with elections in the country, where the opposition compromised the electoral process.

President Buhari had, on Monday, at the All Progressives Congress (APC) emergency national caucus meeting in Abuja warned political thugs that they would lose their lives if they attempted to snatch ballot boxes during elections.

“I am going to warn anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system; he would do it at the expense of his own life,” President Buhari had warned.

Shehu, in a statement to State House correspondents, said the presidency came up with the warning because of experiences in past elections in parts of Nigeria, where innocent voters lost their lives while ballot boxes were being snatched by armed thugs.

“Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an election tribunal from one of the states in North Central of the gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers. Their modus operandi is well known. They storm election venues in commando style, overwhelm the law-enforcement agents and seize ballot boxes leaving a trail of death and injury,” Shehu said.

According to him, “Anyone who dares to put the lives of innocent citizens at risk in their desperation to rig elections, must be prepared for the possibility of losing their own lives because our security agents will certainly not stand by, clap for them and watch them kill and maim.

“He added that President Buhari had the safety and security of Nigerians uppermost in mind when he made the comment, and should be praised rather than criticised for issuing this stern warning to potential ballot box snatchers.”

Shehu further expressed concern about those attacking the president’s comment, and their worry over the fate of anyone caught snatching ballot boxes.


“This sounds like members of the opposition, specifically the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have perfected plans to rig the elections and to snatch ballot boxes. They can tell that President Buhari is not prepared to tolerate their antics this time around, and they are afraid. They have shown their intent,” he said.

The presidential spokesperson noted that no one had anything to fear from the president’s comments if their conscience and intentions are clear.

“Let’s just have free and fair elections and no one need worry about anything,” he said.

https://www.independent.ng/ballot-box-snatching-death-threat-targeted-at-pdp-presidency/amp/

Wow... How low can these goats in government go?

Just look at the rubbish coming from them.

Buhari the senile and demented dullard is going down.

But wait o! The order wasn't directed at any particular party na. Why PDP come dey cry like this? Could it be they planned on snatching ballot boxes? Well, if they planned on doing that, I'll advice they change tactics cause right now, if they snatch, they'll die! Infact PDP's defence of ballot box snatchers makes me hate d party even more...... And don't tell me about due process. Due process in our corrupt courts? What's even the punishment for ballot box snatchers? A paltry 2 million Naira fine or 2 years in d prison? Is that one punishment for someone that comes to a polling unit harmed with dangerous weapons and ready to kill anyone that stand in their way? Snatch and die is not good enough sef. It should be snatch and die a slow painful death

PDP think lies and propaganda will help them. Never.

All of Dubai plans is gone. PDP now campaigning with smoke.

To snatch ballot box and run..
their regular trademark

“Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an election tribunal from one of the states in North Central of the gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers.

Lies... They are only trying to justify Buhari's unconstitutional idiotic comment.. he could have done better by mentioning the exact state and court case to justify his stand.

Here is a summary of 2011 election as no election held in 2010. and no death due to ballot snatching was recorded.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/04/amid-presidential-poll-monitors-allege-intimidation-underage-voting/amp/

basmur:
To snatch ballot box and run..
their regular trademark

Hope the order covers all the ones at Oshodi, Bariga, Mushin too!

Only the guilty and those planning to be need be afraid

Let me illustrate it this way...Man u has a game against Chelsea...Paul scholes , is the referee.... Carrick is the lines man and Lingard owns the ball, they want to play...yet man u is crying fowl , that Chelsea wan use ojoro against them....
............................
Buhari's relation is in charge of counting the votes.... iNEC chairman na buhari boy....a member of APC , who is even running for the Senate in this very election, printed the ballot box and other election materials....and buhari ia shouting shoot at sight....and myopic minded people , are shouting Sai baba....
Buhari will finish this country, if he is not evacuated now !!!

For Lagos, I know touts control things, they snatch boxes, dont allow people to vote by canning them....

Buhari have long said "Nigeria should never return PDP to power" https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/164161/ Then later said "I will never handle over to PDP". As if the PDP does not have it electoral power to contest election or the Nigerian electorate are not entitle to their voting choice. Well, the desperation of this moribund administration is well appreciated.

Meanwhile same PDP conducted the 2015 wherein they lost but the APC fraudulently benefitted from same via the over-whelming use of the "incidence form" down north.

Now, the same APC govt have said the "...recent threats issued by President Muhammadu Buhari that ballot box snatchers would pay with their lives was directed at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)."

So the PDP alone possessed "ballot snatchers" right?
So who were the thugs who help the APC to rig the Osun rerun which Buhari shamefully acknowledged that the party won via "remote control" as well as the Kogi elections that Yahaya Bello thugs were on full swing? What is MC Olomo doing with security agents in Lagos?

APC take heed.Whatsoever goes around not only comes around but also stays around.Karma never forgets or forgives.Wait for it.

Exactly as sane folks are saying....But brainless zombies half of whom are afonjas programmed not to think like humans are deceiving themselves spewing nonsense.

The rigging reasons given by Garbage Shehu is bunkum cos essentially Nigerians voting PDP on saturday can be shot and a ballotbox placed on his or her head.

This is in other to discourage folks from voting PDP and allowing APC coast to victory.

Buhari/APC the World is watching your impunity closely and in due cause,you shall meet your water-loo

rainylad:


Exactly as sane folks are saying....But brainless zombies half of whom are afonjas programmed not to think like humans are deceiving themselves spewing nonsense.

The rigging reasons given by Garbage Shehu is bunkum cos essentially Nigerians voting PDP on saturday can be shot and a ballotbox placed on his or her head.

This is in other to discourage folks from voting PDP and allowing APC coast to victory.

Buhari/APC the World is watching your impunity closely and in due cause,you shall meet your water-loo

God will help Nigeria lalastically and do us good.

SeverusSnape:
Wow... How low can these goats in government go?

Just look at the rubbish coming from them.

Buhari the senile and demented dullard is going down.

May God help us, election has become war in Nigeria.

At the end God win!