.Publish findings on underage voters’, PDP advises INEC
By Valentine Amanze
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop covering the atrocities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by publishing its findings on underage voters in various states, particularly Kano and Katsina.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP acknowledged awareness of the investigation, which unearthed a multitude of underage voters, particularly in Kano and Katsina.
It also alleged that the INEC was instructed by the APC and the Presidency cabal to conceal the atrocity, which the party (APC) plans to use to rig the 2019 presidential election for President Muhammadu Buhari.
The party stated: “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.
“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.”
PDP further stated that last week Nigerians were stunned by revelations that INEC under Yakubu was plotting to create 30,000 illegal polling centres in soft and compromised areas through which they plan to allocate free votes for President Buhari, stressing, “This is in addition to plots to compromise other voting processes including the card readers to favour the APC.”
The former ruling party however urged 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.
It explained that when the issue first came to the public domain, that the APC issued a defence while INEC blamed the Kano State government. It alleged that the commission backed down to institute an inquest when confronted with facts showing that it registered the minors.
PDP however wondered why Yakubu (INEC boss) 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 collusion course with Nigerians, who are already anxious about the election and are ready to stiffly resist anything short of credible, free and fair polls,” the party stated.