“If you talk to ten Nigerians today, they will tell you yes your party (Peoples Democratic Party) is popular, but they will rig it. What does that mean? We must stand; we must stand for free and credible election. We must stand for an election where people have the right to vote.”
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who made these points today, Thursday at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP, warned that there could be crisis in the country if the elections are not free, fair and credible.
“I have said it many times that APC is not our opponent on the ballot paper; it is the security agents that are opponents on the ballot paper.”
The Senate President stressed the need for party leaders and stakeholders, to remain united and strong as the elections draw nearer.
“The people are with us and when the people are with us, God is with us. We will do it, we will succeed. I emphasize that we must stay strong because it is not going to be easy.
“Let us remember when we were going for the convention this room was vibrating, there was tension in the country and people never believed that it was possible because it has never happened where people will go to a primary and come out with not even one person disagreeing.
Senator Saraki is the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus has demanded the immediate resignation of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. He also called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu to resign his position without delay.
The opposition party chairman said that the PDP has lost confidence in the capacity of the IGP and the INEC chairman to guarantee free and fair elections.
He insisted that both the IGP and the INEC aided the All Progressives Congress (APC) in rigging the last Ekiti and Osun States governorship elections.
Secondus warned that the PDP would not accept the outcome of rigged elections, adding that there would be a national crisis if the 2019 elections were rigged.
Also speaking at the event, the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubabar, expressed his readiness to engage President Muhammadu Buhari in a public debate on key national issues in the 2019 elections.
His speech was interrupted with a snide remark from an unidentified voice who asked if Atiku was referring to “Jubril,” an alleged nonexistent body double of President Buhari. The mischief has been trending in the social media space lately.
Atiku however replied the voice, asking, “Which Jubril? Is it the one in Sudan or the one in Abuja?” a remark that drew a derisive outburst from the crowd of party faithful present in the hall.
The opposition presidential candidate further said that if elected, his administration would enthrone a policy of strict adherence to fiscal responsibility in the conduct of government business.
He pledged to galvanize efforts through consultations to liberate the nation from the shackles of hunger, deprivation, killings and divisive tendencies.
“Our aim is to work very hard and collectively liberate our nation from the shackles of hunger, starvation, deprivation, bloodletting, killings and division which bedevil us today. We must all work hard to return our nation to the path of harmony, peace and progress.
“We need to be disciplined in our campaign because we are facing a desperate APC. The coming election may be the toughest presidential election since the return of democracy.
“The APC has chosen personal attacks over issues, instead of campaigning on achievements. My campaign will be focused on issues not character assassination and personal attacks.
“We should be telling Nigerians what we want to do differently to get Nigeria working again. We must be vigilant at the polling units. We must demand the removal of the IGP. Elections are governed by laws and rules guiding the behaviour of all those involved.”
He urged President Buhari to sign the amended Electoral Act presently on his desk if he is truly for free, fair and credible elections.
The PDP candidate made assurances of new templates for fiscal responsibility and productivity in every critical sector of national life.
The party inaugurated a 154-member Campaign Council shortly after the NEC meeting, with Secondus named as chairman of the Council.
Atiku is co-chairman of the Council while former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as co deputy chairman.
Also yesterday, the PDP inaugurated its Presidential campaign council with Secondus as chairman and Atiku as co-chair man.
Other members of the Council are the governors elected on the platform of the party, the party’s principal officers of the National Assembly, all the presidential aspirants that contested with Atiku, former Ministers, former principal officers of the National Assembly, members of the National Working Committee of the PDP, among others.
At the inauguration of the campaign council, Secondus charged the team to brace up for the challenges ahead, adding that the task was to sell the agenda of the PDP across the entire country.
