PDP accuses APC of plotting to rig Kogi, Bayelsa governorship elections

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government to create a constitutional crisis and undermine this nation’s democracy.

PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh on Sunday, also accused the Federal Government of deliberately debilitating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the extent that it can no longer perform its statutory responsibility because of lack of quorum.

“Nigerians are aware that before his tenure expired on June 30th, the former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, wrote to President Buhari, intimating him of the fact that the tenure of majority of the national commissioners will expire before August.

Yet, the President never acted, resulting in the present crisis in the commission, where more than 80 per cent out of the statutory 13 members remain vacant, even as eleven states of the federation are also without Resident Electoral Commissioners,” the statement noted. It added that this development has completely enervated the commission from carrying out its functions as stipulated in part 1 of Third schedule of the 1999 constitution as amended, thereby putting the nation’s electoral system under severe threat.

PDP also objected to the appointment of an Acting Chairman of INEC, describing it as an anomaly as “there is no provision for an acting chairman of INEC in our constitution.

The party accused President Muhammadu Buhari of an ulterior motive to inject a constitutional crisis to undermine the nation’s democracy, and wondered why he should wait to be urged before he could forward replacements of retired INEC commissioners to the Senate for confirmation.

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