The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned what it called the daylight vote robbery by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election rerun at the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State last Saturday.
The APC said the ‘robbery’ shows that the PDP, whether old or new, is irredeemable.
Rising from its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the APC said everyone who witnessed or monitored the election has confirmed that it was won convincingly by the party (APC), according to a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The election had been marred by controversy following the disappearance of the returning officer when it was time to declare the result. The result was only later declared on radio prompting protests in the local government area.
On Wednesday, one of the councillorship candidates on the platform of the PDP, declared winner by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC), came out to reject his victory and confirming that he did not win in his ward.
He said as a Muslim and well known face within his area, he was conscious of judgement after death.
The APC said the impunity perpetrated by the PDP has started hunting it, after its candidate in the Shawo South West Ward, Mr. Afolabi Jimoh Olawole, repudiated his so-called victory, just like one of the presiding officers, Mr. Oyetunji Akeem, said the APC won the councillorship and chairmanship in Shawo central ward.
“This is a damning evidence that should make it clear to the PDP thatits impunity cannot stand, that there are still Nigerians who have conscience and would sacrifice even their political and other careers for their integrity.
“In view of this, the APC calls on the PDP, which has been working in cahoots with the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, to regurgitate the victory it wilfully swallowed, and from which it has now become so constipated and uncomfortable,” it said.
APC hailed both Mr. Olawole and Mr. Akeem for their decency and honesty, both very rare attributes in today’s Nigeria under the watch of the PDP, and expressed the hope that all the other partakers in Saturday’s monumental electoral heist will emulate these rare species of mankind.
The party said the so-called New PDP had a chance to use the Offa election to show that it is different from the old PDP, which it accused of lacking in internal democracy and not having regard for the rule of law.
“It is now clear that the saying, that ‘fruit does not fall far from the tree’, is true for the so-called New PDP. Presented with a chance to show that it is different from its vote-stealing, violence-peddling and impunity-prone ‘father’, the New PDP failed the test by engaging in bare-faced conversion of defeat to victory in Offa and then daring the party that has been robbed to go to court.
“What message is the New PDP sending to the world when it could engage in such impunity in Offa? What other argument does it have now that one of its candidates, on whose behalf votes were stolen, has said his conscience and religion would not let him take what is not his?
“The only way this New PDP can redeem itself is to immediately own up to the fact that it has denied the people of Offa their rights to choose their Councillors and Chairman, and to accept its defeat in Saturday’s rerun,” APC said.
