Don't Despair, Remain Focused, PDP Tells Members

SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, (THEWILL) – The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on its members across the country, especially those in states where elections have been declared inconclusive or rescheduled.

Rising from its meeting on Wednesday where it reviewed certain developments arising from the 2015 general elections, the NWC said it was determined to firmly resist any attempt whatsoever to subvert the will of the people or tamper with the process with the aim of denying its candidates their well-deserved victory at the polls.

According to a statement issued by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the party said: “We therefore, in the strongest possible terms, call on INEC and security forces to ensure that the elections in the affected areas are free, fair and credible and that every effort must be made to resist the intimidations and blackmails of clearly obsessed APC with the aim of manipulating the process in their favour.

It however charged its members, particularly those in states where elections have been rescheduled or declared inconclusive not to despair but remain focused, saying the NWC will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them until the deserved victory is achieved.

“Already, we have received reports from Nasarawa state where results from a ward collation center in Karu local government where our senatorial candidate was leading with about 8,000 votes was outrightly cancelled by INEC on the ground that the collation officer was unable to reconcile the figures from the ward.”

“Instead of ordering the collation officer to properly reconcile and represent the figures, INEC reversed the 6,000 votes lead by our candidate by hurriedly declaring the APC candidate winner with about 2,000 votes.”

“This is in clear violation of the Electoral Act, which does not provide for cancellation of results based on unreconciled figures at the collation level. We are aware of similar cases at the national collation center where the INEC Chairman had ordered the returning officers to properly reconcile and represent figures before the announcement of final results.”

“We therefore request the immediate cancellation of the results as declared by INEC. This anomaly abounds in several states and across the nation; in Imo, Plateau, Zamfara, Lagos, Abia and so many other states.”

“Furthermore, the NWC has noted some divisive comments and statements by certain elements within the party who are being enticed by extraneous factors and other parties to cause disharmony in our ranks.”

“While cautioning against such comments, we urge our members with genuine grievances to direct them through the appropriate channels within our party in line with the provisions of the PDP constitution.”

“Finally, we reassure all our members that the NWC has put a machinery in place to reengineer and refocus our great party in keeping with our collective determination to consolidate our support base in all states of the federation with a view to regaining power at the center in the next four years since it is obvious that the APC lacks what it takes to effectively lead our dear nation,” the statement further said.