PDP: Confirming APC’s Gumus as INEC Commissioner is Coup against Democracy

•Our party must unite to win 2023 elections, says Wike

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, rejected the confirmation of a card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Rhoda Gumus, as a National Commissioner (South South) in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) despite widespread outcry by Nigerians

The PDP, therefore, described Gumus’ confirmation as a “coup” against Democracy and an open invitation to serious political crisis that could derail the nation’s hard-earned democracy.

However, relatedly, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said for the (PDP to win the 2023 elections, it must unite.

The governor spoke yesterday in an interview with journalists during a visit to a former National Caretaker Chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi at his residence in Kaduna.

But, in a statement by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party insisted that in confirming Gumus, the APC-led Senate leadership has exposed itself as anti-people and completely insensitive to the aspiration of Nigerians for credible and transparent elections in 2023.

“The action of the APC-led Senate is highly provocative and incendiary, because it is in violation of Paragraph 14 (2)(a) of the 3rd Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which provides that, “a member of the Commission shall be non-partisan and a person of unquestionable integrity. Such violent assault on the Constitution and our electoral process by the APC cannot be allowed to stand,” the PDP spokesperson said.

He explained that the media space was awash with reports of Gumus as a member of the APC in Bayelsa State with APC Registration Form No: BAY/YEN/08/58315 and reportedly as number 27 in her APC Ward Register and yet, the senate went ahead to approve her nomination as INEC national commissioner

According to PDP, “In nominating and confirming an APC card-carrying member into INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC-led Senate leadership have recklessly violated the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which they swore to uphold and defend.

“This action is designed to corrupt and compromise the electoral Commission and pave way for the APC to rig the 2023 general election. Nigerians can recall how President Buhari had earlier sought to impose his aide and card-carrying member of the APC, Lauretta Onochie as INEC Commissioner but was stiffly resisted by Nigerians,” the party stated.

The PDP said the APC which thrives in impunity has again nominated and confirmed Gumus, another APC card-carrying member as National Commissioner in INEC in flagrant violation of the Constitution and total disregard for the Nigerian people.

It said Gumus must not be allowed to be used to pollute INEC, adding: “Her mission is already exposed and our party is ready to mobilize our members and all patriotic Nigerians across the country by taking legitimate actions to protect the integrity of the electoral body.

“Our Party, therefore, issues a stern caution to Prof. Gumus to, in the interest of peace, steer clear of INEC as there is no way she can function in that office as a card-carrying member of the APC.”

The PDP spokesperson said that democracy is about transparency of elections and Nigerians cannot believe in the integrity of the process with Prof. Gumus in INEC.

Meanwhile, Wike, in Kaduna said the ruling APC has failed the country and Nigerians were looking up to the PDP for a way forward.

According to him, if the PDP was united, it could be sure of victory, and as such, called on party members in the state to unite and work for the victory of the PDP.

“My ambition is for PDP to be reunited. If you have a united party, then, you are sure of victory. Does it make sense if you have a presidential ticket of a party and the party cannot win election? So, for me, the unity of the party is paramount. It is not about going about (saying) you want to be President. It is how the party unites and fights this evil – this monster they call the All Progressives Congress,” he said.

Wike said his visit to Makarfi had nothing to do with Presidential ambition but to extend best wishes to the former governor, who recently returned home from a medical treatment in London.

“I came here to see one of our leaders, who has done well for the party. Why I came here has nothing to do with presidential ambition,” Wike said, commending the PDP in Kaduna State for winning most of the councilorship elections during the 2021 council polls.

“It is surprising to me as an opposition party the number of councillors PDP won in the last local government elections. It has never happened, so, we need to encourage them to let them know that we know what they are facing and they have support from us and that is why I came here”, the governor said.

On the controversy over zoning, Wike said the party would meet and take appropriate decision, stressing that the most important thing is producing a candidate, who has the capacity, no matter where he comes from.

“It is not a one man decision, whether you zone it (Presidency) to West, East, North, what is important is somebody that has the capacity to move Nigeria forward. Nigerians are waiting for us and we must bring somebody, who has what it takes to move Nigeria from where we are now to what every Nigerian expect.

“We have many people who have what it takes. But at the appropriate time, we will sit down and move forward. For me, I have no other place other than PDP. When people hear me come out, they think I have special interest. The special interest I have is that this party should not be killed. It is important that we must work together not to go about telling people about presidential ambition.

“Time will come when PDP will look at those qualified. We are not going to base it on the fact that you are from south or north. Even if it is zones to the South or North, we will sit down and look at people who have the capacity,” he explained.

Responding, Makarfi thanked Wike for the visit and for his tremendous support during his tenure as the National Caretaker Chairman of the PDP, saying with unity and perseverance, the PDP would win the 2023 Presidency.

“We have to be united, because a dead party cannot win elections. We will be disappointing Nigerians if we do not come together to salvage the country. There is a lot of work to do,” he said.