The leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on Wednesday disclosed that the adoption of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as its choice in the Saturday’s Presidential Poll aligns with the agreement reached among the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), to ease the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration out of power.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday after the emergency meeting of its National Working Committee, NWC, its National Chairman , Chief Supo Shonibare said that the adoption was premised on the fact that after a careful study and assessment of the leading Presidential candidates, the plans of Atiku were closely interrelated to the principles and manifesto of the SDP, particularly the desire of Nigerians for restructuring .
Shonibare added that the party also adopted the PDP candidate for the election in response to the outcry of the millions of Nigerians who desired a change in the nation’s leadership and the coming together of political forces to ensure the country “is rescued from hunger, maladministration, nepotism and quasi-dictatorship.”
He, therefore, called on party members and supporters nationwide to come out in their multitude on the election day to cast their votes for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for the Presidency and the party’s candidates in other elections.
However, the party condemned in strong terms the reasons adduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for rescheduling the elections.
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According to him, “the SDP in the assessment of the postponement’s exponential cost to Nigerians and political actors considers INEC’s decision as parochial, insensitive and capable of creating voter apathy that may further diminish voter turnout on election day
“The Social Democratic Party strongly urges INEC to engage all critical national and foreign as well as election stakeholders in its pre-election and post-election processes in an open and transparent atmosphere in attestation that the electoral processes are credible, free, fair and peaceful, as democratic governance and the future of our cherished country hangs in the balance.”
On the shoot at sight order to security forces against ballot boxes snatchers by President Muhammadu Buhari, he disagreed with the directive and warned security personnel against carrying out such unlawful orders not backed by the law of the land, saying that the consequences should be better imagined.
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