INEC Working for PDP, Oshiomhole Alleges

Udora Orizu

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the forthcoming general election.

Oshiomhole however, added that the governing party will not descend to the level of bringing down state institutions because the APC believes that state institutions should be allowed to perform their functions.

But in a swift reaction, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), said the ruling party’s woes were self-inflicted and fueled by their greed.

Responding to questions about alleged collusion between INEC and President Muhammadu Buhari, Oshiomhole alleged that at the moment, two Resident Electoral Commissioners in the South-South have been going about campaigning with the PDP.

Oshiomhole who asked Nigerians not to return the PDP to power, said the pledge by the PDP candidate to float the naira was a receipt to economic woes, adding that Atiku has always been part of the wrath facing the nation.

He also dismissed PDP allegations that the APC was responsible for burning some INEC offices that have recently been engulfed in flame, stressing that he could easily allude to the fact that the PDP burnt the INEC offices because they are afraid of losing elections in those places.

He said “If anything, this INEC has been very unfair to the APC. But we just discovered that we have a responsibility. The fact that we are a governing party imposes on us a certain level of code that you can’t be seen to rubbish every institution because if we rubbish everything, it would mean that we don’t want election. INEC believe everything the PDP says.

“As we speak, there are two Resident Electoral Commissioners who are virtually campaigning line by line with the PDP in the South-south. INEC, without giving us any explanation and without any concrete evidence went ahead to say we can’t field candidates in Zamfara, thereby seeking to award, without any context and nullify democracy in Zamfara State.

“Is that the way your friends behave if they are your friends. INEC is working more for the PDP, based on evidence I can show. How can they explain that a court of competent jurisdiction gave orders in Zamfara to say this candidate is eligible to contest election and another high court in Abuja also gave a verdict saying APC did not conclude its primaries but did not give order to INEC.

“There is no order issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The court of Appeal made a pronouncement on this matter today that there was no order from the court in Abuja, but that there was a concrate order from a Zamfara High Court which upheld the primaries that was conducted in Zamfara.

“The INEC Chairman has said that when there are two court orders, they will adopt the last judgment. In Zamfara State, the Abuja judgment came first and the Zamfara judgment came last even though it is the same day,” he said.

But in a swift reaction, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), said the ruling party’s woes are self-inflicted and fueled by their greed.

The spokesperson of CUPP, Ikenga Ugochinyere who issued a press statement in Abuja said: “The attention of opposition coalition of CUPP has been drawn to a statement credited to the rabble-rousing National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, that INEC is working for PDP, especially in Rivers and

Zamfara States where his party has been barred from presenting candidates.”

“We are bold to say that PDP is not APC’s problem. The party’s problem is Oshiomhole’s penchant for lawless actions, compromise and bribery for which he had been invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) at a time. These factors combined to ruin the party,” he said.

The coalition stated that Oshiomhole should also note that the decision to bar his party in those states was a court decision, adding that he must therefore learn to nurse his self-inflicted wound with calmness.

CUPP added that Oshiomhole should prepare for the big one coming on Saturday when Nigerians will unanimously vote out the clueless government his party has foisted on them for almost four years.