Admin l Sunday, October 28, 2018
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow his personal ambition to push the nation into chaos. The PDP also cautions the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu not to succumb to pressure to manipulate the electoral process for President Buhari, stressing that such an attempt could cause serious crisis capable of disarticulating Nigeria.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, the party warned President Buhari’s handlers, who are desperate to force him on an unwilling nation, noting that by so doing, they are fast pushing the nation to the brinks and should be checked before it is too late.
PDP’s said its fresh caution to INEC Chairman is predicated on an alleged secret meeting he held with President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, at the Presidential villa last Friday.
“Prof. Yakubu should note that the polity is already tensed over INEC’s listing of President Buhari for election despite his failure to present the constitutionally required academic credentials like other candidates. This development casts a dark shadow on the credibility of INEC to conduct a transparent election.
“INEC is invited to further note that Nigerians are aware that by President Buhari’s declaration, in an affidavit, that his said certificates are with the military, his nomination documentation is therefore constitutionally incomplete, making him ineligibile to contest the 2019 Presidential elections.
“Also, by failing to write to the military authorities to release his claimed certificates, Mr. President leaves Nigerians with no option than to hold that he does not have the credentials and the 1999 Constitution (as amended) did not provide that affidavits can be used as a substitute for any candidate’s credentials.
M”oreover, Mr. President’s affidavit also shows that he did not submit any certificate in 2015, making his candidacy for that election improper and defective under our laws”, the party said.
It noted that Prof. Yakubu must have noted the heavy public criticisms that have been trailing his provocative declaration that Nigerians should go to court over the certificate saga. His statement betrays an electoral umpire who is under threats and heavy pressure to abdicate his statutory duty of enforcing constitutional requirements for elections.
The PDP holds that allowing such siege mentality on our democratic institutions to fester will surely spell doom for the country, noting that Nigeria “is our country and we don’t have any other nation we can call our own”, the party said.
“Now that Nigerians have rejected President Buhari’s affidavit and insisted on his certificates, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is left with no option than to accept its self-inflicted misfortune. Meanwhile, we are not unaware of the anxiety and apprehension in the APC but such is the price of being stuck with bad merchandise. On our part, the PDP is ready for election. Our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, with his proven competencies, has met all the requirements for the election and is now enjoying the support of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians across all sections of our country”, the PDP said.
The party noted that Nigerians are tired of a deceptive, dishonest and grossly incompetent Buhari administration, which it said has brought so much anguish and pain to “our nation”.
