Thel leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the Borno State bye-election conducted last Saturday.
The party has therefore tasked its members to protect their votes in the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states respectively.
PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday said the call has become necessary following what he described as “continuous violation of electoral rules and intimidation of opposition” by the APC-led federal government.
“While we reject the processes associated with the conduct and outcome of the Borno Central Senatorial bye-election, we wish to state in the strongest possible terms that the PDP will never, by any means whatsoever, allow a replay of such heinous manipulations in the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states respectively.
“We have repeatedly alerted Nigerians that our democracy is under threat in the hands of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government. Last Saturday’s Borno Central Senatorial Bye-election, where compromised electoral officials and security forces were brazenly used to intimidate the electorate and write votes for the APC has brought this to the fore,” he alleged.
“This barefaced rape on our democracy is completely unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue in the country.” There was no immediate response from the APC and INEC.
Meanwhile, the PDP candidate for the bye-election in Borno State, Alhaji Kaka Umar Bolori yesterday said he will go to court to challenge the declaration of Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai as winner.
Bolori, who came second, has rejected the results declared by INEC, saying the bye-election was full of irregularities.
“The security agents and INEC had fully compromised. Our concern is that this election was conducted under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and if they cannot conduct a free and fair election in a single senatorial district, the elections in Bayalsa and Kogi States would be something else,” he said.