Buhari, APC Plan To Compromise INEC To Rig 2019 Election – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Wednesday, accused President
Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of
compromising the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to rig
the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

In a
press conference organize by the Director of Media and Publicity of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Presidential Campaign Organization, Mr
Kola Ologbondiyan, the party called for on urgent investigation into the
alleged link between the reportedly diverted military funds and the
N1.032 trillion said to have been used by President Muhammadu Buhari’s
family members for corrupt acquisition in 9 Mobile Nigeria and Keystone
Bank PLC.

The PPCO calls for an independent and system-wide
investigation by the INTERPOL, Directorate of State Services (DSS), and
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the alleged links
between the two funds.

This concerted investigation has become
imperative following President Buhari’s failure to directly speak out on
the allegations against his family members, as well as explain how they
came about the sum of N1.032 trillion for the alleged acquisition.

We
make this demand in view of public insinuations that the money may have
been sourced from funds meant for the purchase of weapons for our
soldiers.

More so, the Buhari Presidency has blatantly
refused to respond to allegations that military fund is being used to
finance President Buhari’s re-election campaign which even manifested in
the use of military resources to produce APC’s campaign materials,
including an electronic momento book by the Minister of Defence, Mansur
Muhammad Dan-Ali.

The PPCO is deeply worried by the disturbing
videos of our gallant soldiers languishing and being killed by
insurgents due to neglect and failure of the Buhari administration to
adequately equip them in the fronts.

The PPCO is also unhappy by
similar videos, showing our soldiers protesting and threatening to
retreat from the fronts, while grumbling against their neglect by the
Buhari administration.

This should not be the way to go for our
nation. Our soldiers are brave and have continued to show the highest
form of professionalism and unmatched patriotism in risking and laying
down their lives in defence of fatherland. Therefore, any action by
anybody that is capable of reducing their morale in the fronts must
never be allowed.

The PPCO invites Nigerians to continue to be at
alert and give all support to our fighting troops as the fight against
terrorism in our land must continue to be a collective effort. We
therefore insist on this inquest and urge Nigerians to give their
support in this regard.

Also, the attention of the PPCO has
been drawn to a vicious attempt by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to
use diversionary tactics to dismiss allegations of corruption hanging
directly on President Muhammadu Buhari. The APC is attempting to dismiss
revelations that family members of President Buhari’s involvement in
acquiring substantial shares in both the 9 Mobile and Keystone Bank Plc
that is worth over a N1 trillion.

We want Nigerians to note
that the PDP had already challenged President Buhari to personally speak
out on these allegations. We note that President Buhari had the
occasion of the launch of his campaign in Akwa Ibom last week and his
New year address to deny these grave allegations but he decided to shy
away from it.

The PPCO unequivocally stands by its actions that
President Muhammadu Buhari has soiled his hands on corruption
enrichments and has resorted to sending his aides to put up frivolous
defenses. We hereby insist that Mr. President should rise in defence of
his best-selling point-assumed integrity-by personally responding to the
9 Mobile and Keystone Bank-gate

The PPCO cautions the
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof.
Yakubu Mahmood to immediately disentangle himself and his commission
from the fresh plot by the APC and the Buhari Presidency to compromise
the electoral guideline and pave the way for the alteration of the
results of the 2019 general election to favour President Buhari.

We
urge Prof. Yakubu to note that Nigerians are already aware of the
pressure being placed on him by the Buhari Presidency and APC seeking to
force the commission to drop the display of results at the polling
units as well as the electronic transmission of polled figures to INEC
server from its guidelines.

The Buhari Presidency is desperate to
remove these requirements because the display of results at the polling
units ensures that results posted at all levels remain those originally
announced at the various polling units, while the electronic
transmission to INEC server ensures that the results from the polling
centers are not tampered with. PDP also demands that INEC allows both
local and international observers to its situation room to ensure that
the final figures are not tampered with.

The APC and Buhari
Presidency are mounting pressure on INEC to drop the requirements so as
to pave way for their planned alteration of results and allocation of
fictitious figures to President Buhari during the collation process.

Prof.
Yakubu must not succumb to the pressure of the Buhari Presidency,
because doing so will definitely set him on a collision course with
Nigerians.

This demand has become imperative in the face of
allegations and public apprehensions that the INEC Chairman is being
offered humongous sums of money, running into billions of naira, by
agents of the APC and the cabal at the Buhari Presidency to accede to
their demands.

Keystone Bank
Information at our disposal
further reveals that the INEC Chairman has been under pressure from this
group said to be coordinated by President Buhari’s blood relation in
INEC, who, we are surprised, Prof Yakubu still allows around himself.

Prof.
Yakubu is now counseled to distance himself from these very dangerous
racketeers and the commission from this very dangerous racket, as
Nigerians will directly hold him responsible should these two important
guidelines that guarantee transparency in the elections suddenly
disappear from the INEC manual.

It has further come to our
knowledge that the INEC Chairman is contemplating the deployment of past
National Youth Service Commission (NYSC) members for the 2019 election.

The PPCO totally rejects this ignoble intention which is a ploy to use APC card-carrying members as polls officers.

It
is very instructive to state that the on going ASUU strike has not by
any measure evacuated its members from the surface of the earth.

Therefore,
if INEC sought to use the members of ASUU for the 2019 elections, the
on going strike will not be an excuse to deploy APC members.

We
totally reject these plots to thwart electoral transparency in 2019 and
we invite lovers of democracy and global democratic institutions to
show more than a passing interest in our democratic process.

On
the whole, the PPCO invites Prof. Yakubu to bear in mind that all what
Nigerians demand for is a transparent, free, fair and credible election
that reflects only the will of the people, as directly expressed at the
ballot. Any attempt by anybody, to subvert the will of the people will
be highly resisted by Nigerians, in their determined resolve to elect a
new President, come February 16, 2019.