The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, said on Wednesday that the party will resist rigging in 2019 general elections.
Secondus led other members of the National Working Committee and stakeholders of the party to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, for the grand rally of the sixth year celebration of Governor Seriake Dickson government.
During the rally, the PDP chair also received many defectors from the All Progressives Congress and other political parties to the party.
Secondus warned the APC-led Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies against rigging the 2019 elections, saying that the PDP would not allow that to happen.
He said the PDP would be free and fair in all processes of its primaries and the general elections.
He said, “We will ensure free and fair for all the processes of primaries and the general elections. But our fear is, “will the INEC play the game according to the provisions of our constitution? Will they not rig elections? Our fear is that INEC is getting ready because they are parastatal of the APC to rig elections.
“But let me warn that 2019, no party, whether you are in government, whether you are INEC, whether you are security, you cannot rig elections. It is better for you to talk to the people, for you to be reconnected to the people and let the people come to vote. The vote of everyone must count in our nation.
“It is time for revival; it is time for us to come together as a party and as a person to chase out this evil party called the APC. Our people by their votes will chase them out. It is time for us to come together, from the North, from the South, from the East and from the West. It is only your voter cards that can restore this nation.”
For the large number of the defectors to the party, Secondus welcomed them back to the party, saying the umbrella was large enough to accommodate all of them.
He urged state chapters of the party not to bar anybody coming into the party, saying that the door had been opened for them (defectors).
Secondus stated, “All rights and privileges are hereby restored to you (defectors). You are free to contest elections. There will not be any barrier to any aspirations; you are eligible, you are competent, you have the right to be as if you are seven years or 15 years old members of this party.
“By extension, let me say here that no state chapters should bar anybody from coming into our party. We have opened the door; the space is hereby opened. And we are waiting, starting from Bayelsa today.
“We are waiting for other very prominent stakeholders of our nation to cross over to the party that will rescue our nation from challenges of difficulties, hunger, killings and poverty. I believe that today, you can see. Can you put all your brooms here so that we can see that you no longer carry brooms?
“Put your brooms down; our country witnessed the era of brooms from 2015. These brooms have brought us evil; these brooms have brought us hunger, these brooms have brought us poverty; these brooms have brought us killings in our land.
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“Today, from Bayelsa, we will continue to receive these brooms and throw them into the ocean. Never again shall our people witness killings; never again shall we witness poverty by the act you have performed here today. I hereby congratulate you and welcome you to our party.
“Our party is getting stronger every day. Our party is coming out with a new thinking. The new thinking of the PDP is that this party, as we move from state to state, we will rebrand our party, we will reposition our party and we will regain the lost grounds.
“Just a few days ago, we were in Abia State. The governors of the PDP are performing. I believe that the eleven governors of the PDP are the best the country has as of today. And because they have performed very well, the entire nation can see that this is the party that can rescue this nation from hunger and poverty.
“In 2019, once again the country will experience happiness and joy and it is only the PDP that can provide that and you can see what is happening today in Bayelsa.”
On his part, Governor Seriake Dickson, said Bayelsa State is the foundation of the PDP, noting that because of that, the other side in the last governorship election did everything to take Bayelsa by force and by the grace of God and the support of the people, they could not succeed.
Dickson said, “Today, we are standing here, no shaking, celebrating six years of the restoration government in Bayelsa State. We are here because political authority, after God belongs to the people.
“We are here celebrating the achievements of the restoration government because you voted us and have stood with us up until now.
We are also using this Valentine Day because as you know, I am the only Valentine governor in the whole world. We are also using this Valentine Day to mark the renewal of love and solidarity and the rejuvenation of our state, our party and of our country.
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