The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council (PDP PC) on Monday raised alarm that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is manipulating the elections results of Ebonyi, Imo and other states, to force a rerun of last Saturday’s Presidential election.
The council speaking at a World press conference at its campaign headquarters in Abuja, on Monday, alleged that the party, haven been defeated in both states by Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), is now trying to shore up its votes by manipulating figures, to force a runoff.
Dele Momodu, the party’s Director, Strategic Communications, said the candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, can only satisfy the constitutionally required spread, if his party succeeds in manipulating the two south east states’ results.
Momodu said alleged that the ruling party is hoping to use governors of the states who are both APC members.
“ These manipulations are intended to force a rerun, haven lost states where they had hoped to win majority votes to opposition parties”
The party while urging its members to disregard the mind games being played by the APC, added that “From our standpoint, the APC has no justifiable path to winning this election. Unlike the PDP, the APC lacks the spread and unlike the PDP, the figures are not adding up for them.
“Therefore, we urge PDP members to be vigilant, remain steadfast and peaceful.
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Momodu pointed out that Tinubu has been fatally wounded in Lagos by Obi and injured by Rabiu Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria Peoples (NNPP) in Kano State, adding that “the APC flag bearer has found himself needing millions of votes he cannot muster”
He assured that with what is available to the council, the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has become the firsr to cross the constitutionally required threshold.
The party commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agencies and all other paramilitary forces for ensuring that the atmosphere of the election was peaceful.
“ Having cast their votes, Nigerians are earnestly expecting the results to be announced. It is also their expectations that the announced results will be in alignment with the ballots they had cast. As a campaign we expect nothing less.
“We have been following the trend of post election activities and it is our desire to reset certain wrong impressions being created to confuse the public.
“From already collated results data we are proud to inform Nigerians that the Peoples Democratic Party remains in the lead in the election of last weekend.
“We remain the only political party which has secured the necessary 25 per cent spread across 24 states in the country. No other political party has been able to cross this essential constitutional requirement.
“As a matter of fact, we have it on credible grounds that our main opponent in this election, the All Progressives Congress party, is currently mounting pressure in attempts to bribe their way to securing 25 per cent performance in both Imo and Ebonyi states.”
The party noted that “ on the merits of this intelligence that we are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to apply necessary precaution before announcing procured results in the presidential election from these two states.
“Our presidential candidate had yesterday urged the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to instruct Collation Officers to upload results from the Polling Units to the INEC server to avert those results from being compromised by Governors of the ruling party who were shopping for numbers to make up for their shortfalls.
The party said the “ APC has not been able to meet the 25 per cent threshold and demand that INEC should not cave in to the pressures and desperation of the APC to buy advantages for itself in this regard.
“ We also have it on good grounds that the APC are currently making attempts to shore up votes from Lagos State to their advantage. From already collated results, the APC is not leading in Lagos and we have credible information that they are currently shopping for means of manufacturing humongous figures to their advantage in the state.
The party appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to resist the pressure being mounted on it by the APC to compromise the Lagos Central Senatorial District election where the Peoples Democratic Party is in clear lead.
“We further urge the electoral commission to put substantial surveillance on Lagos State. The APC are doing ALL within their means to cheat in Lagos.
“Our demand for INEC’s precaution is not limited to Lagos. It extends to other states in the Southwest and selected states in the North including Katsina, Yobe, and Borno among others.
