by Musa Abdullahi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday in Abuja alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was trying to destabilise it by planting moles within its fold.
Olisa Metuh, the party`s National Publicity Secretary, stated this while speaking with journalists at the end of the party`s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting.
The meeting was the first after it lost the presidential election to the APC.
“We have noted that while some members had left our party, others have been asked to remain to cause disaffection and disharmony to destroy the spirit of unity in the party,” Metuh said.
He said the NWC had noted some divisive statements by certain elements within the party, who were being enticed by extraneous factors and other parties to cause disharmony in its ranks.
Metuh cautioned against such comments and urged party members with genuine grievances to direct such through the appropriate channels within the party in line with the provisions of its Constitution.
He reassured PDP members that the NWC had put machinery in place to re-engineer and re-focus the party, in keeping with the collective determination to consolidate its support base in states of the federation.
Metuh said this was with a view to regaining power at the center in 2019, “since it is obvious that the APC lacks what it takes to effectively lead the nation.”
He said that following the party’s perceived poor performance at the just-concluded elections; it would meet with its governors and senators-elect on April 21.
Metuh said the party’s leadership would also meet with its members elected into the House of Representatives on April 22.
He said the party’s state and zonal chairmen had been directed to come to the meeting with “list of irregularities in the conduct of the elections in their areas.”
Metuh said this was to enable the party to have a holistic view of what transpired during the elections and for it to come up with its final decision on its conduct.
He said the NWC reviewed certain developments arising from the 2015 general elections and resolved to resist any attempt to subvert the people`s will.
The spokesman added that the NWC also resolved to resist any attempts to tamper with the democratic process with the aim of denying its candidates their well-deserved victory at the polls.
He called on INEC and security forces to ensure that the elections in states where it was declared inconclusive were free, fair and credible.
The PDP spokesman said that every effort must be made to resist the intimidation and blackmail by the opposition aimed at manipulating the process in its favour.
He urged the party members, particularly those in states where elections had been rescheduled or declared inconclusive, not to despair, but remain focused.
Metuh said the NWC would continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them until the party`s deserved victory was achieved.
He said the PDP had already received reports from Nasarawa State on results from a ward collation center in Karu Local Government Area.
Metuh alleged that in Karu, the PDP senatorial candidate was leading with about 8,000 but the votes were cancelled by INEC.
He said that INEC cancelled the result on the ground that the Collation Officer was unable to reconcile the figures from the ward.
Metuh alleged that instead of ordering the collation officer to properly reconcile and re-present the figures, INEC reversed the 6,000 votes polled by the PDP candidate by hurriedly declaring the APC candidate winner with about 2,000 votes.
This, according to him was in clear violation of the Electoral Act which did not provide for cancellation of results based on un-reconciled figures at the collation level.
