https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/03/02/presidential-nass-elections-50-persons-died-pdp/


Chinwe Maduagwu

Contrary to earlier reports that 25 persons were killed during the February 23, Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has claimed that over 50 persons actually lost their lives on the election day.

National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus made the claim on Friday while addressing the press in Abuja.

Describing the election as 'body bag election,' he claimed that most of the over 50 Nigerians who died during last Saturday’s elections were from the South South, blaming the deaths on the division of the Nigerian army stationed there.

“When All Progressives Congress, APC, leaders were threatening foreign election monitors with returning to their country on body bags we didn't know that they had designed the same thing for Nigerians. As at the last count over 50 Nigerians have lost their lives (sic) last Saturday most of them from the South South region where a division of the army with their commander were turned on the people on the Election Day.”

“For a regime that appears comfortable with blood, the deaths they recorded during their campaigns were not enough as after their contrived ballot box victory and stolen mandate, they still hired some hoodlums and sent them to the streets to go and kill themselves and further inconvenience the grieving Nigerians while celebrating their electoral robbery,” he said.

Secondus accused President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he addressed by his former Military title, General Muhammadu Buhari of dragging down the nation’s democracy by using the military to rob Nigerians of their right to choose leaders of their choice after being a beneficiary of a flawless election and seamless transition to an opposition party.

Dwelling more on the militarisation of the last elections, the PDP Chairman noted that besides using the army to kill innocent electorates, they were also on hand to suppress voters.

“The clear effect of militarizing the election particularly in the South South and South East in addition to the killing of innocent electorates was the obvious suppression of voters who were either scared out or chased away,” said.

He noted that even by INEC own record; voter turnout in last Saturday's election fell to about 36% from 44% it was in 2015.

“The military were dragged into the election to suppress and scare away voters and facilitate rigging. That is how you hear ridiculously that war torn Borno and Yobe states recorded higher percentage in voter torn out than some states in the South South geo- political zone.

“While the military was suppressing voters in PDP strong hold areas in the South, a different abracadabra was going on in some northern states particularly in Kano, Yobe, Borno and Zamfara states where numbers refuse to add up.

“In Borno, Yobe and Zamfara states confirmed report shows that there was non compliance in the use of Smart card reader as approved by INEC rules.

“In these states as in others, the data is inconsistent with the accreditation of registered voters in the local Government Areas and voting patterns witnessed in 2015.

“The same applies to cancelled votes, in Nasarawa states over 115,000 votes cancelled, Kogi 79,000 votes, Plateau 30,000 votes indicating that these high incidence of vote cancellation were designed to suppress the margin of victory in PDP strong holds.”

Secondus claimed that the ruling All Progressives Party, APC, was doing all within its power to strangulate the opposition.

“As part of their strategy to ensure that PDP is distracted from pursuing its stolen mandate, General Buhari's regime has decided to intensify their intimidation and strangulation of the opposition. Some prominent members of the opposition have been put on surveillance and their names listed to be stopped from travelling out of the country.

“You can all see that we have arrived at the place we never bargained for, full blown dictatorship and this is where I urge you members of the press to stand up as you have always done against this emerging despotism in our land before we become a laughing stock in the global democracy family again.”

He however, called on members and supporters of the party not to despair, but to remain steadfast and focused reiterating the assurances of the party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that they “shall triumph at the end because democracy has come to stay in this country and is staying by the grace of God.”

To the security agencies, he said: “I also wish to reiterate to our security agencies particularly the Army that they are not at war with any section of her citizens and they must try to be professional in their duties by staying away from election matters as directed by the Supreme Court of the land.”

PDP caused it with their war campaign chant.

9ja