By Eric Elezuo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the Prof Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against manipulating the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for Saturday, March 11, 2023 across 28 states of the federation.

The warning was contained in a letter presented to the Commission, and addressed to the chairman, during a peaceful protest led by the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The party, in the letter, signed by the National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and the National Secretary, Sen. Samuel N. Anyanwu, said it would no longer stand by and watch a repeat of the massive manipulations of election results that took during and after the presidential election of February 25, 2023 as the governorship elections draw closer. It therefore warned that the commission live up to expectations or there will be consequences.

The party also rejected the election process, calling for its cancellation as well as an immediate stop to the uploading of results to the INEC server, saying that the act no longer serve any useful purpose.

The demands are as stated below:

In consideration of the foregoing, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) acting on the mandate of the Nigerian electorate has resolved as follows;
1. To reject and declare as unacceptable the outcome, announcement and declaration of the Presidential election results.

2. To call on your commission to suspend the on- going transmission of the Polling Units results to your Server which is in complete breach of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

3. To warn your commission against a repeat of the experiences of the February 25, election in the coming Governorship and State Assembly elections of March 11, 2023. Any attempt to manipulate the electoral process will be vehemently resisted.

4. To call on all Nigerians to be co-partners in defense of our democracy, votes, the rule of law and their Rights to freely choose the candidates of their choice.

5. To demand an explanation why you proceeded with the declaration of the election results marred with irregularities against all calls to address the complaints brought to your attention before and during the collation process.

We are writing to you because we want to bring our grievances and demands formally to your attention for necessary action.

Furthermore, to inform you and your commission that, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) together with the ordinary and aggrieved masses of our dear country will no longer tolerate any act in defiance of our electoral processes and laws. We feel pained at the outcome of the February 25, 2023 election and the provocative declaration your commission made against the will of the people. Sadly, this is coming at the time Nigerians were in high hopes of embracing a reformed electoral process.

Please take caution in your acts to avoid destabilizing our fledgling democracy.

Recall that on February 25, INEC conducted a presidential election that many individuals and institutions across the world claimed was greatly flawed.