• Forum tasks FG, INEC, political parties on peaceful election
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is yet to issue its official time-table.
The main opposition party stated that its Presidential Campaign Council led by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, would soon make public the authentic timetable for the party’s presidential campaign, adding that such information would have the full seal of the party and disseminated through PDP official handles.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement yesterday said: “The attention of the PDP has been drawn to a phony post circulating the social media, purported to be the PDP presidential campaign timetable.”
“The fabricators of the post even went further to allocate venues and dates for zonal rallies, which they claimed to have emanated from the PDP presidential campaign council.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP clarifies that it has not yet released any timetable or timelines for our presidential campaigns. Similarly, our party has not yet allotted any dates or venues for our campaigns.”
The leadership of the PDP therefore urged all its members and supporters across board to completely disregard the said timetable on the social media, as it did not emanate from the PDP.
Meanwhile, the Patriotic Forum of Presidential Candidates (PFPC) has appealed to the federal government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the political parties to avoid any acts capable of jeopardising national coexistence in the forthcoming general election.
Its Secretary, Dr. Onwubuya Breakforth, at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, said the aim of the Forum was to engage government to do more on the current state of internal security for the wellbeing of Nigerians and guarantee credible electoral process before, during and after 2019 general election.
He added that the forum which is made up of 40 presidential candidates has also taken it upon itself to interface with the law enforcement agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force not to interfere with the electoral process or allow itself to be used by any group or person to influence election results in favour of any particular candidate.
Breakforth, said: “The overall objective of the Forum is to advocate and ensure the delivery of free, fair, credible and violence free election come 2019, as it is most important to have Nigeria united as indivisible entity after the polls.
“We therefore appeal to the government, INEC, political parties and stakeholders seeking political offices on the various political platforms in the forthcoming elections and the electorate to avoid any acts capable of jeopardising our national coexistence and the chance of having peaceful and credible election in 2019.”
The forum also urged the INEC to continue playing its constitutional role as an unbiased and neutral umpire throughout the 2019 general election.
