Secondus screams, says ‘APC has begun rigging 2023 polls’

The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus has raised the alarm that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have begun underhand rigging of 2023 general election.

In a statement from his media office on Sunday, Secondus hinted that every indications point to the unfortunate fact that President Muhammadu Buhari and his party were not working towards conducting free, fair and transparent elections in 2023.

The national chairman was reacting to a media report at the weekend that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was halting its procurement of E-voting machines ahead of 2023 because of the rejection of e-mode of transmission of results by the National Assembly.

Secondus noted that since the existing Electoral Act and the constitution gives unilateral powers to INEC to conduct credible elections in Nigeria, it does not need National Assembly position to do its legitimate duties.

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According to him, “From all indications, INEC is trying to abdicate its constitutionally assigned responsibilities of conducting free, fair and transparent elections hiding under the cover of delayed amended Electoral Act or rejection of e-transmission of results.

“Nigerians and democratic observers globally are watching INEC ahead of 2023 and it will be disastrous if the Independent electoral body dances to the antics of the ruling party.”

The PDP national chairman said that if the commission was able to conduct governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states in September and October last year respectively without the amended Electoral Act, it could still be done all over the country.

He said that PDP was worried at the development and would do everything legal to ensure that the will of the people of Nigeria was not thwarted again in 2023.

Secondus then charged all lovers of democracy within and outside the country to do everything possible to ensure that credible elections were conducted in the country in 2023 as anything short of that would gravely undermine our democracy and indeed Nigeria.

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Meanwhile, the opposition party has described the contemplations by the APC and its government to impose more hardship on Nigerians, through the re-introduction of toll gates on major highways as a downright act of wickedness against the suffering masses.

In a press statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party stressed that after an extensive consideration, it insists that the move to return the toll gates to allow APC interests to further fleece already impoverished Nigerians, was offensive, vexatious, inflammatory and as such should not be contemplated under any guise whatsoever.

The party recalled that the PDP administration dismantled the toll gates 18 years ago in order to ease the burden on the people as well as end the corrupt regime of operators.

It therefore, rejected the return of toll gates, as it will add more economic burden on the people, lead to hike in transport fares, increase in the prices of goods and services as well as provide safe haven for corrupt APC leaders to extort money from innocent Nigerians.