Loading ...October 28, 2018
Press Statement
Don’t Destroy Our Nation, PDP Tells Buhari
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charges President Muhammadu Buhari
not to allow his personal ambition to push the nation into chaos.
The PDP also cautions the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu not to succumb to pressure to
manipulate the electoral process for President Buhari as such could
cause serious crisis capable of disarticulating our nation.
The party warns that President Buhari’s handlers, who are desperate to
force him on an unwilling nation, are fast pushing the nation to the
brinks and should be checked before it is too late.
PDP’s fresh caution to INEC Chairman is predicated on an alleged secret
meeting he held with President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba
Kyari, at the Presidential villa last Friday.
Prof. Yakubu should note that the polity is already tensed over INEC’s
listing of President Buhari for election despite his failure to present
the constitutionally required academic credentials like other
candidates. This development casts a dark shadow on the credibility of
INEC to conduct a transparent election.
INEC is invited to further note that Nigerians are aware that by
President Buhari’s declaration, in an affidavit, that his said
certificates are with the military, his nomination documentation is
therefore constitutionally incomplete, making him ineligibile to contest
the 2019 Presidential elections.
Also, by failing to write to the military authorities to release his
claimed certificates, Mr. President leaves Nigerians with no option than
to hold that he does not have the credentials and the 1999 Constitution
(as amended) did not provide that affidavits can be used as a substitute
for any candidate’s credentials.
Moreover, Mr. President’s affidavit also shows that he did not submit
any certificate in 2015, making his candidacy for that election improper
and defective under our laws.
Prof. Yakubu must have noted the heavy public criticisms that have been
trailing his provocative declaration that Nigerians should go to court
over the certificate saga. His statement betrays an electoral umpire who
is under threats and heavy pressure to abdicate his statutory duty of
enforcing constitutional requirements for elections.
The PDP holds that allowing such siege mentality on our democratic
institutions to fester will surely spell doom for our nation. Nigeria is
our country and we don’t have any other nation we can call our own.
Now that Nigerians have rejected President Buhari’s affidavit and
insisted on his certificates, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is
left with no option than to accept its self-inflicted misfortune.
Meanwhile, we are not unaware of the anxiety and apprehension in the APC
but such is the price of being stuck with bad merchandise.
On our part, the PDP is ready for election. Our candidate, Atiku
Abubakar, with his proven competencies, has met all the requirements for
the election and is now enjoying the support of the overwhelming
majority of Nigerians across all sections of our country.
Nigerians are tired of a deceptive, dishonest and grossly incompetent
Buhari administration, which has brought so much anguish and pain to our
nation.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
