PDP: We Don’t Trust INEC to Deliver Credible Polls in 2019

• UN pledge to ensure fair play

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Anuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed doubts over the ability of the present leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections in 2019.

The PDP’s position on INEC came just as members of the party in Kwara State have become apprehensive over speculated return of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to the PDP.

The PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, told the United Nations (UN) delegation on assessment visit to his office yesterday that the political climate in the country is giving serious cause for concern.

Secondus told the team led by Mr. Serge G. Kubwimana that only free and fair elections could guarantee unity of the country.
According to him, the 2019 election would make or mar the country, noting that the visit was “timely because of the unfolding events in our country and the political situation.”

He appealed for the intervention of the international community, adding, “We have fear since APC came on board, if election is not in their favour, there is a rerun.

“There must be election that is free and fair and when there is no free and fair, election, it breeds crisis, and we are witnessing what is happening in Kenya.

“What is happening in the West should happen here. There is a great fear whether INEC will conduct free and fair election. Free and fair election will guarantee the unity of this country, and we are afraid if INEC will conduct free and fair election.

“Take this to New York for all the necessary action required. Election is coming in 2019, the election that will make or mar the country. What this government owns this nation is to conduct free and fair election.

“The National Assembly and the judiciary, are important arms of the government, but the judiciary is not obeyed,” he said
Secondus said in the history of the country, it was only PDP that lost election and conceded defeat without challenging it in court.
Kubwimana said the delegation was in the country to meet with INEC and political parties as part of its assessment mission on how to support Nigeria’s electoral system.

“Assessment can’t be done without interacting with the stakeholders, judiciary, the National Assembly, civil society.
“At the end of the mission, we will set up recommendations on technical issues which will help to improve the overall environment for the elections,” he said.

Secondus said the UN intervention is very timely coming at the time Nigeria is preparing for the next general elections in 2019.
Meanwhile, there seemed to be panic in Kwara State PDP over the likely return of Saraki to the PDP family.

THISDAY gathered that the return of the Senate President, PDP is creating fears in the state chapter of the party.
Members of the party from the state led by the State chapter Chairman, Akogun Iyiola Oyedeo was at the PDP National Secretariat yesterday to meet with the national leadership.

In an interview with journalists after the meeting, the party chairman said the state chapter was ready to make concessions to Saraki on matters that have to do with choice of party’s Standard bearers for the 2019 general election.

“We are ready to make concession on what we have not decided on. They met the executive on ground, and we cannot remove the chairman for them or the treasurer.

“If we have not done the primary for governorship, House of Assembly, senatorial, presidential. For example, if Saraki says he wants to contest for the president, we cannot deny him (nomination) form.

“And if he wants to return to the Senate, we will give him form and other people too.

“So, we are ready to allow them on issues that have not been settled. But issues that are settled are for four years,” he explained.
Oyedepo said the state PDP was apprehensive that the national leadership of the party might throw the structure open for Saraki to take over but had now been reassured that such would not happen.

He said: “Our party is not all that apprehensive. We are apprehensive of what the national leadership can do to welcome somebody who had gone away from the party and later given a royal welcome.

“It is not Saraki’s coming that creates any fear. It is what the national executive can do to encourage him to seize the party structure from established people in Kwara State.

“But we have been assured that the era of impunity is gone. That’s t what our national chairman told us.

“So, we are so glad that even if anybody comes into our party, we are really not against it but whoever comes must respect the structure on ground and cooperate with us appropriately.

“We will welcome Saraki with open hands if he comes to be part of the party, and we don’t have any issue on the executive. We can’t say nobody should join our party.”