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Postponement: PDP Urges Nigerians Not To Buckle Before Anti-Democratic Forces

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February 16, 2019

Press Conference

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is shocked and vehemently rejects the 
sudden postponement of the February 16 Presidential election by the 
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), few hours before the 
commencement of polls.

This decision by INEC is a grand plot to give the All Progressives 
Congress (APC) and the Buhari Presidency the space to perfect their 
rigging plans, which have been resisted by Nigerians to this point.

Our party and the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have worked very 
hard in readiness for the election; our members and supporters, in their 
millions and generality of Nigerians that are eager to participate in 
the democratic process had already moved close to their polling units in 
readiness to vote and to defend their votes.

In some cases, Nigerians were already at their polling units in orderly 
queue in the hope to vote out the incompetent administration of 
President Muhammadu Buhari.

Countless of patriotic Nigerians and families had spent huge resources 
and made exhaustive sacrifices in travelling to their various polling 
areas to vote for their consensus candidate, Atiku Abubakar, only for 
INEC to announce this devastating postponement.

The public space is replete with how the Buhari Presidency mounted 
pressure on INEC leadership to postpone the election at the dying 
minute, so as to place more burdens on voters and frustrate their 
enthusiasm for the election.

Nigerians have lost trillions of naira, risked their lives on the road 
and in the air as well as faced other huge loses just because President 
Buhari is bent on perpetuating his inordinate quest to remain in office.

President Buhari in his desperation for power has again exhibited his 
insensitivity to the sensibilities of Nigerians, particularly in his 
deceitful attempt to heap blames on INEC for a plot that was hatched and 
executed by his Presidency.

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It is instructive to state that the reasons given for the postponement, 
including the logistic challenges in the distribution of sensitive 
election materials, as well as security concerns, were all the 
machinations of the APC and the Buhari Presidency to create confusion 
and arrive at a predetermined end, which is to rig the election.

The APC and the Buhari Presidency, having realized that they have no 
chance of winning had continued to prepare the ground by inciting acts 
of violence in various parts of the country, issuing threats to election 
observers, using the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai 
Mohammed, to escalate a sense of insecurity, burning INEC offices to 
paralyze its operations as well as using government officials to openly 
mount pressure on the commission to shift the elections.

This is in addition to the compromising of government facilities and 
agencies to frustrate the distribution of sensitive election materials 
including results sheets in various states; the provocative substitution 
of already trained INEC polling officials with APC members as well as 
the deployment of security forces to simultaneously arrest PDP leaders 
and supporters, particularly in Kwara, Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Kano, Kaduna, 
Rivers, Kogi, Bayelsa among other states in order to create a sense of 
national insecurity and trigger violent resistance by the people.

APC’s new plot is to escalate series of challenges that will eventually 
paralyze INEC’s operation in some states so as to stagger the election 
and pave way to isolate certain critical states, after which it will use 
compromised security agents to muzzle the polls in those states in 
favour of President Buhari.

Our response to INEC and the Buhari Presidency is that they have only 
succeeded in postponing the evil day for their candidate, President 
Buhari. Nigerians will never adjust in their resolve to resist the APC 
rigging plans and serve President Buhari his defeat certificate at the 
polls any day, any time.

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The PDP therefore stands with Nigerians at this critical moment and urge 
them to stand together in the overall interest of our nation. Our party 
appreciates the sacrifices and commitment made by Nigerians in the 
pursuit of a new leadership in our country; we understand the pains and 
distress they are passing through at this moment due to this 
postponement.

Nevertheless, the PDP urges Nigerians not to despair or allow our 
resilient spirit for which we are known all over the world to be 
subjugated at this crucial time. We must pick up ourselves against all 
odds and stand firm for the future of our dear nation.

In that regard, the PDP directs all our members and supporters to remain 
calm and encourage one another at this critical time. We all must stand 
together in preparation for the final push next Saturday. We must never 
give up until victory is assured.

Nigerians will never surrender to President Buhari’s anti-democratic 
forces that want to subjugate our people and derail our hard-earned 
democracy. President Buhari should therefore perish the thought of 
rigging this election or achieving a self-succession bid

The PDP calls on the international community to note what is happening 
in Nigeria and hold President Buhari as well as the APC responsible 
should there be any breakdown of law and order in our country.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
And
Director, Media & Publicity
PDP Presidential Campaign Organization

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