Stop working for APC, release findings on underage voters’, PDP tells INEC

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop covering the atrocities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by making public its findings on underage voters
in various states, particularly Kano and Katsina states.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity. Secretary, Honourable. Kola. Ologbondiyan.

The Party also counselled the INEC. Chairman Professor. Mahmood Yakubu not to bow to any pressure from either the APC or the Presidency to achieve their aims of rigging the 2019 elections but to quit office if the heat was too much so as to incur the wrought of Nigerians.

According to the Party, “we are aware that the investigation unearthed a multitude of underage voters, particularly in Kano and Katsina states but that INEC has been instructed by the APC and the Presidency cabal to conceal the atrocity, which they plan to use to rig the 2019 presidential election for President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Our investigation reveals that beyond underage voters, the INEC panel discovered other atrocities, which the APC and the Presidency agents have been suppressing.

“We are also aware of the manipulations in INEC’s computer data centre, which has been handed over to a compromised official known to be related to President Buhari.

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“Nigerians are shocked that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is allowing the APC and the Presidency cabal to use him in their desperation to rig the 2019 election for President Buhari despite his overt rejection by the citizens as a result of the failures of his administration.

“Only last week, Nigerians were stunned by revelations that INEC under Prof. Yakubu is plotting to create 30,000 illegal polling centres in soft and compromised areas through which they plan to allocate free votes for President Buhari in addition to plots to compromise other voting processes including the card readers to favour the APC.

“We invite Nigerians and the international community to note the various attempts by INEC to conceal the underage voters, particularly, in Kano and President Buhari’s home state, Katsina State.

“When the issue first came to the public domain, the APC issued a staunch defence while INEC blamed the Kano state government.

The commission had to back down to institute an inquest when confronted with facts showing that it registered the minors.

“Furthermore, Prof. Yakubu refused to allow for an all-inclusive panel of political parties and credible NGOs but went ahead to handpick INEC officials with a view to cover the illegality.

“Nigerians may recall that when we challenged the veracity of the preliminary report with documentary evidence, INEC promised to make public its final findings, but has refused to do so since the end of the inquest.

“We charge Prof. Yakubu to find the strength to resist the pressure by the APC and its Presidency or quit the office, as they will definitely put him on the collision course with Nigerians, who are already anxious about this election and are ready to stiffly resist anything short of credible, free and fair polls”.