Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday claimed that the military authorities expressed worries over an alleged threat to the May 29 inauguration of a new administration because they knew that the February 25 presidential election was flawed and compromised.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja.
The party stated that under normal circumstances, the military would not be concerned because democracy and change of government should be seen as a thing of joy and a cause for celebration.
The PDP also said that the bad treatment suffered by Nigerians at Egypt and Sudanese borders was an indication that no nation takes Nigeria seriously again.
“Typically, with the coming of a new government, there should be a new enthusiasm. Democracy should be about the people and therefore a celebration that a new government is about to come.
“I read in the newspapers that the military is expressing concern that some people will disrupt the swearing-in and inauguration of a new government on May 29. Again, it goes to say the election was not proper, and due processes were not followed.
“After all, what are the worries for? Democracy should be a celebration.
“When a new government is about to come or a democratic change in expectation of a new government, typically the environment will be bobbling with people looking forward to a new horizon and hope.
“In this election or do I say selection, you notice that there are palpable ominous signs in the country otherwise if the election has been okay in line with the laws and what democratic tendencies are all about in terms of change of government, what you will see is that people will be preparing to celebrate on that day.
“But what do you find? You find that the military expresses concern over those against the inauguration because they know that the processes that produced the incoming government, particularly the INEC are flawed, compromised, and corrupted as well as corrupted by the APC and its candidate. There is despondency all over the country.
“It is worrisome for the military to get concerned because a change of government should be a celebration, but it is becoming a mourning period for the country.
“That should capture the attention of Nigerians. Where do we go from here if an election has been so badly skewed by INEC, then that should worry all of us and the question is where do we go from here? Ologunagba queried.
On the implication of the flawed elections, he said, “You can see the effect of all these things because the respect a country gets is about the character of its leaders and its institutions. You see this from what happens to Nigerians in Sudan. Nigerians were kept at the borders between Sudan and Egypt for days.
“Why? It is a reflection of Nigeria as an unserious nation. Can you imagine the United States going through this in the western hemisphere?
“This election has so many dimensions that we as citizens must be concerned and it is an opportunity for the judiciary and the justices to do justice to issues before it. They witnessed the shenanigans called elections and we hope that they will do justice, according to the facts before them.
“And I believe that they will do justice to the issues before them because they are Nigerians and they witnessed what happened. If they did not witness it, they heard it or read it in the news. And of course, that cannot be democracy as envisaged.
“These are the issues that have to do with that election that bothers on the credibility of Nigeria, Nigerians as a nation, and the respect that the country will have in the international community,” he explained.
