APC: We’ll win supplementary elections
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has confidence of victory in the forthcoming supplementary elections in Kano, Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, and Adamawa States.
“Our commitment to free and fair elections in the county remains resolute. We urge INEC to ensure that all loopholes that led to rigging, vote buying and intimidation of voters by the PDP are blocked,” the APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in a statement issued, yesterday, in Abuja.
Issa-Onilu, however, expressed the APC’s opposition to what he called illegal decisions on Rivers and Bauchi.
He said the electoral process was suspended in Rivers State in a very fraudulent circumstance
He said, “We are concerned and deeply troubled by the unfolding events in Rivers State. The APC strongly condemns this horrid dance in Rivers State. This unholy alliance between Governor Nyesom Wike, PDP and INEC is to prevent
Rivers people from electing a candidate of their choice by imposing Wike, the PDP candidate on them.
“We report that in most of the LGAs in the state, voting had concluded, results declared at the polling units and collation had begun before the abrupt suspension of the process. INEC does not have the power under our Electoral Act to suspend elections that have already been concluded.
“We suspect that INEC might be working to surreptitiously bring in cooked up results credited to Obio/ Akpor LGA to skew the election in favour of Wike. We vehemently reject this anti-democratic move.”
The APC spokesman, who rejected INEC’s decision on the governorship election results from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in Bauchi State, said the electoral body was not empowered to reverse any decision taken at the collation centre by the returning officer appointed for that purpose.
He said such decisions can only be reversed by a court of law, especially when INEC cannot approbate and reprobate.
Issa-Onilu, who said the APC candidate, Barr. Emmanuel Jime, obtained the highest number of legitimate votes obtained with the usage of the card reader, added that reports had established that a bogus lead of over 81,000 votes by the PDP was an aggregate of ‘votes’ obtained by subterfuge.
He said with APC’s comfortable lead in Plateau State, its dominance and performance in Kano State, the readiness of people in Sokoto State to reclaim their mandate and move to the next level, the ruling party would win the supplementary elections.
Issa-Onilu, who said the party had reported over-voting and use of security personnel to intimidate APC agents and supporters in Adamawa State, urged all stakeholders to avoid actions that can plunge the state into crisis.
The APC also urged INEC and relevant security agencies to ensure the supplementary election is free, peaceful and fair compared to the last inconclusive governorship election in the state which was characterised by many irregularities and voter intimidation.