Kogi poll: PDP alleges INEC, APC of plot to stop Wada

Uche Secondus

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was being pressured to alter its monitoring report on the opposition’s primary election to disqualify its candidate, Engr. Musa Wada for the November 16 gubernatorial poll.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, who made the allegation during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, said the move followed a meeting between some INEC officials and the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lokoja.

He said intelligence available to the party indicated that INEC was in league with the APC to challenge the PDP’s primary election outcome in court to void it and pave the way for the emergence of incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello.

The party spokesman also alleged that a plot was on to arrest about 30 PDP chieftains in the state to remove them from circulation during the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

Giving what he said was the position of the party on the plots, the party spokesman condemned the electoral body and the APC “in the strongest terms.”

He warned them “not to, in any way, attempt to alter INEC’s Monitoring Report on our governorship primary in Kogi state or attempt to tamper with our record of submission of a candidate for the November 16 governorship election.”

Ologbondiyan added: “The PDP’s warning is predicated on intelligence available to the National Secretariat of our great party of plots by known INEC officers and certain APC leaders to alter INEC’s Monitoring Report and delist our candidate, all in their desperate, but sure to fail, bid to make Governor Yahaya Bello a sole candidate and deny the people of Kogi state their desire to vote in Engr. Musa Wada as their next governor.

“Of course, this plot is dead on arrival, as our candidate, Engr. Musa Wada, remains duly nominated through the statutory processes of our primary, which was well covered in the Monitoring Report released by INEC. The PDP cautions that any attempt to tamper with his candidature will trigger the wrath of the people.

“The PDP is however aware of every stage in this conspiracy against the Kogi state as well as the actors involved. Already, our party is working with the people of Kogi state to stop them on their trail.

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“The PDP is fully aware of the details of the meeting between the INEC officials and the APC stalwarts on Sunday, October 20 and Monday, October 21, 2019 at the INEC office in Lokoja, on how to alter INEC’s position in its earlier released Monitoring Report, which confirmed the validity and transparency of our governorship election primary.

“Our party has full details of how the APC leaders came to the meeting, which held at about 2pm, in a black Toyota Prado SUV with covered plate number; how the INEC officials arrived 10 minutes later in a Kia SUV as well as the pecuniary transactions that followed.

“Information available to our party shows that an INEC P.R.O and a Legal official of the commission were also in the meeting where they plotted how to ensure the alteration of the INEC’s Monitoring Report on our Kogi primary before 1st November 2019.

“The PDP has been further made aware of how the conspirators have recruited 205 APC loyalists, who are being trained at Muslim Community School, Lokoja to impersonate NYSC members as Polling and Electoral Officers in designated areas to enable the APC and INEC manipulate the process in such areas.

“Now that these plots have been exposed and the conspirators already known by the people of Kogi state, the PDP cautions INEC to desist from any attempt to carry out APC’s nefarious bid.

“The people of Kogi are ready and fully rallied to monitor all electoral activities in all the polling units and all collation centers as well as to protect their votes up to the final declaration of results. Anybody that attempts to subvert their determination for a free, fair and credible process will only have himself to blame.

“The inevitable trajectory of change in this election as desired by the people of Kogi state, in their yearnings to end the suppressive, corrupt and anti-people government of Governor Yahaya Bello is abundantly clear and there is no way the people can allow anybody to undermine their determination for a new order.

“Also, intelligence available to the PDP indicates that over 30 Kogi leaders have been listed for arrest by the APC so as to put them out of circulation and pave way for manipulations against the people.

“Our party cautions the APC and their compromised security agents to steer clear of our leaders and members during this election. This is because any unwarranted attempt on their freedom and safety will be firmly resisted

“Let it be known to the APC and security agencies that the people of Kogi, standing with the PDP are ready for this election and that harm to one is harm to all.”

The PDP, therefore, called on Nigerians to hold the APC and Governor Bello responsible should any harm befall any of our leaders or should any one of them suddenly become a victim of an unexplained accident, accidental discharge or sudden disappearance.

“The Kogi people are determined for new leadership; their choice is already known and nothing can make them surrender their will to anybody, no matter what,” he declared.