PDP Asks UN to Avert Rigging of 2019 Polls

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wednesday sought the intervention of the United Nations over fears that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would rig the 2019 general election.

The party said it has lost confidence in the ability of INEC to conduct credible polls, noting that registration of underaged persons signifies their attempt to rig the 2019 polls.

It also warned that Nigerians would resist any attempt to impose an unpopular government on them.
The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, stated this when he hosted a delegation of the United Nations led by Mohammed Ibn Chambas.

Secondus also urged the UN to help address the mindless killings going on in the country, stressing that same could be part of grand design to prevent some eligible voters from casting their votes in 2019.

“INEC has not lived up to expectation. It should come out in clear terms and be seen as an umpire. Since they took over, a lot of issues have trailed their conduct of elections.

“We don’t have confidence in the leadership of INEC. There are no perfect elections anywhere in the world but there are glaring issues of concern.

“We suspect that INEC will rig the elections but Nigerians will resist it. We suspect that the rigging will start from Borno State, especially with the number of people in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps,” said Secondus, who added that in the past elections conducted under the leadership of Professor Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC, “Some people were prevented from the polling units by security agents.”

Secondus also drew the attention of the UN delegation to the alleged registration and voting by minors in Kano during a recently conducted council polls.

According to the PDP boss, “The registration of the underage is part of their rigging strategies,” noting that the party is prepared to release a video evidence of the alleged electoral manipulation.

Secondus further reiterated the readiness of the party to incorporate youths and women in the governance of the nation, saying that contemporary world thrives on the energy and resourcefulness of the youths.

In his earlier remarks, Chambas said the delegation was at the party’s secretariat to get a feel of PDP’s readiness for the poll vis-à-vis its observation of the electoral process ahead of the polls.

While expressing UN support for the gender equality bill and the Not-too-Young-to- Run bill, Chambas tasked the party to do its part in ensuring the conduct of credible elections in 2019.

“There should be a code of conduct to be signed by the political parties which will focus on policies and agenda and not on hate speeches,” he said even as he advocated the “Regular and adequate funding” of INEC to enable the commission to discharge its responsibility to the people.