Nigeria’s main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged plans by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to stoke political crises that will snowball into tenure elongation in 2023.
The party in a statement on Sunday by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, warned the ruling party to perish the thoughts of subverting the electoral process.
The party wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari has not signed the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, a part considered crucial in the timelines, preparatory to the 2023 general elections.
The PDP said it was alerting Nigerians to the plot by the APC to use orchestrated insecurity and political uncertainty to derail the electoral process, stall the 2023 general election and create a situation to justify a tenure elongation.
“There are revelations that desperate APC leaders are behind the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 so as to frustrate the smooth conduct of primaries by political parties and derail the entire electoral process.
The PDP said it was not surprising to it, that Mr. President was again “absent” having travelled to the United Arab Emirate and abandoned his constitutional duty of signing the crucial amendment to the Electoral Act.
He noted that “this attitude of Mr. President to an issue that is critical to our electoral system is consistent with APC’s plot to cause confusion in the polity, orchestrate an unconducive environment for elections, stall the 2023 general elections and achieve a rumoured third term agenda.
“The regularity of the electoral process as well as the confidence of the people in the certainty of timelines and outcomes of elections are the hallmarks of democracy, which the APC has been dislocating apparently with the view to undermining the electoral process.
“It is clear that the APC has already commenced this ignoble plot with its desperation to use the Court to overthrow the outcome of the FCT Area Council election held on Saturday, February 12, 2022 which was overwhelmingly won by candidates of the PDP, halt the swearing in of the newly elected chairmen and councilors and impose an undemocratic government in the FCT.
He noted that the PDP is concerned about APC’s exposed plot to deploy such despicable underhand methods to subvert elections in 2023 where they do not favour APC candidates.
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“Moreover, it is now clear that the APC administration has been compromising our security system, opening our nation up to attacks and permitting shared sovereignty with terrorists over large portions of the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, apparently to further orchestrate a security situation that will justify the stalling of elections in 2023.
“This probably explains why President Buhari has failed to confront terrorists, contrary to his promise to lead the fight against terrorism from the front and why he remains “absent” and “weak” as terrorists pillage our citizens in various parts of the country.
“This is in addition to the provocative comments that have promoted disunity, agitations and restiveness in various parts of our country, including tagging a particular part of the country as “a dot in a circle”
“Our party cautions the APC to note that its plans have been exposed and that Nigerians will never allow it to perpetrate its misrule through an orchestrated tenure elongation.”
