PDP raises alarm over underage voting in Kano

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday raised the alarm over the massive voting by underage persons ‎ in the recent Local Government Election in Kano State saying that it has lost confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections in the next year’s general elections.

Consequently, it called on the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu ‎to carry out a total review of the voters register in Kano, Katsina States and others with similar cases to address the anomaly ahead of the 2019 general elections, describing the current voters register as unacceptable to it.

Addressing Newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon Kola Ologbodiyan advised that the INEC chairman should “do the needful immediately by quitting the office” in order to restore the confidence of Nigerians in the Commision ahead of the general elections.

According to him, “Nigerians have completely lost confidence in INEC under Professor Mahmood Yakubu
and we urge him to take the path of honour and do the needful before it becomes too late

“As you are aware, INEC has been indicted for registering and issuing permanent voters card (PVCs) to millions of underage persons, particularly in Kano and Katsina States respectively

“However, INEC has refused to take decisive steps to restore the sanctity of its register, particularly in Kano and Katsina states, but has rather made a puerile explanation of plans to investigate the allegation,”

Ologbondiyan dismissed the reason initially gave by INEC to justify the registration of minors in some of the States, saying that PDP had lost total confidence in the Commission and would not conduct free and fair general elections as expected ‎.

According to him, “the credibility of our electoral process under the current INEC is hugely in doubt. The nation was last Wednesday terrified by the commission’s Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, who announced that INEC registered minors because its agents were threatened by members of the communities in those States

“By this alarming and unpatriotic statement, INEC under Professor Yakubu has completely discredited and disqualified itself and cannot be trusted to conduct a credible, free and fair general elections in 2019

“The import of this statement is that INEC under Professor Yakubu is not firm in its acts and will consequently cave in and accept any form of irregularities once it is put under pressure by members of a voting community.”

The party also lashed out at the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration, saying its performance claims were intended to deceive gullible Nigerians ahead of the polls.

Said he, “we have information that forces at the Presidency and the leadership of the APC, having failed to record any meaningful achievement in their three years of failed governance, and having realized that they have nothing on which to anchor their ill-lucked 2019 re-election bid, have mobilized their agents to commence the falsification of economic and development indices across all sectors, with a view to create a false
sense of performance,”

The Party spokesman also condemned what he called the impunity of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration saying it had uncovered plans by government to demolish properties owned by some of the Party vocal critics of the administration.

According to him,”we want to inform Nigerians of the intolerance trend adopted by APC and its government in some states that are now demolishing property belonging to opposition members and perceived opponents of their 2019 re-election bid

“Kaduna state governor Nasir el-Rufai was reported to have detailed bulldozers and armored tanks to demolish a property belonging to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi perceived to be against his 2019 re-election bid

“In Adamawa, the state government has pulled down billboards and signposts belonging to opposition parties while harassing our members and perceived political opponents ahead of President Buhari state visit.”

“In January this year, Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima superintended over the demolition of PDP state secretariat in Maiduguri following the renewed popularity of our party in the state

“In Kogi, a property belonging to Senator Dino Melaye, who is known for his criticism of the APC derailed government, has been marked for demolition,” .

He also kicked against the INEC plan to engage the services of the EFCC to assist it in monitoring the finances of the Political Parties in respect of the forthcoming general elections, saying that this was illegal and ploy by the ruling APC to deal with the opposition Political Parties especial the PDP.

He stated that INEC lacked such power to delegate the power conferred on it to ‎another Agency of the Federal Government

On the question whether the Party was afraid of the 2019 ‎general elections, Ologbondiyan said,” we are not afraid at all, during our time, we conduct elections and we won and we also conducted election which lost out, we freely handed over to the winner without any hitch, so, we are not afraid, we are the voice of Nigerians, we have to speak out.”