Presidential polls: PDP begins process to challenge result

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commenced the process of upturning the outcome of the February 23 presidential election.

The National Chairman of the main opposition party, Prince Uche Secondus, told a meeting of its Expanded National Caucus In Abuja on Monday that the process of filing the petition to challenge the result at the election tribunal would begin Monday or Tuesday.

He reiterated that the decision of the party to challenge in the tribunal was as a result of what he observed as the brazen acts rigging allegedly perpetrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during the election.

According to him, the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were intimidated to carry out the bidding of the ruling party during the exercise.

Secondus condemned the use of the military to harass the electorate in parts of the country, just as he queried party leaders who he said have not been speaking up about the election.

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He said: “Nothing will make us waver in the pursuit of justice. The decision to go to court has been finalised and the process has begun. We will file our petition today or tomorrow. No matter what anyone will do or what the APC will say, we will seek justice to the highest court of the land.

“What happened during this election has never happened in the history of this country. They are celebrating criminality, they are celebrating evil. Our leaders are not talking and if you don’t speak against evil, it will consume everybody. The National Peace Committee is not saying anything.

“INEC and its ad-hoc staff were intimidated and everyone is quiet. If nothing is done, we will nosedive and go deeper and deeper in this situation we have found ourselves.”

The PDP boss admonished that a repeat of the 2019 elections in the next four years would translate to no polls at all.

He added: “In 2023, there may be no election because if you have the military, you don’t need the people. All you need to do is to make the announcement of results.”

He also called for the immediate release of the son-in-law and one of the lawyers of the PDP Presidential candidate, Babalele Abdullahi and Uyiekpen Osagie, respectively, who were reportedly picked up by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“We ask for the release of Atiku’s lawyer and his son-in-law because they are political detainees. EFCC has become an agent of suppression of the masses. They are bothered about critical stakeholders of our party,” Secondus stated.

He urged INEC to be conscious of the verdict of history, saying that only smooth and orderly conduct of the polls would judge them right in the eye of history.