The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned the postponement of the general election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Following a review of the level of preparations for the election, INEC postponed the presidential and National Assembly election to February 23, while the governorship and state House of Assembly elections were postponed to March 9.
According the National Chairman of the leading opposition party, Uche Secondus, the decision taken by the electoral body was a grand design by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to thwart the will of Nigerians at all cost.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Ike Abonyi, Saturday morning, Secondus said the postponement had exposed the failure of INEC and called for the resignation of its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
He warned that anything short of a free and fair election would not be accepted.
“The PDP leader warns that the party will not accept anything short of a well organised electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and the opposition particularly members of the PDP.
“Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election, an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable,” the statement reads in part.
Describing the postponement as wicked, he added: “With several of their rigging options failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.
“For the avoidance of doubt the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare them away.”
