The People’s Democratic Party on Wednesday called on security agencies to investigate and sanction All Progressive Congress presidential nominee Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for an alleged conspiracy to derail the 2023 general election.
The party also called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to call Tinubu and his party members to ensure a peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible election process.
PDP spokesman Debo Ologunagba made the call at a press conference in Abuja.
The APC candidate told his members at a closed meeting in London earlier this month that “political power is not served in a restaurant. It is not served a la carte. It’s what we do; It will probably be; They do it at all costs; Fight for it, grab it, grab it and run with it.”
But Ologunagba said: “In response to this directive, APC leaders and members have now launched plans to derail the electoral process through orchestrated violent attacks in various states across the country aimed at creating a national security emergency, inciting fear.” and making it seem unconducive to holding elections in the country.
“Part of the conspiracy are the current attacks on the facilities of the independent national electoral commission INEC in different parts of the country, as observed in Ogun, Osun and Imo states, where sections are critical for the conduct of elections, particularly those involving associated with the collection of elections Permanent election card PVCs have been attacked and destroyed.”
The PDP spokesman continued: “Our party has been made aware of APC plans to orchestrate attacks in other states, particularly Kogi and Delta; some states of the Southeast as well as parts of the North to undermine the electoral process in as many states as possible.
“Intelligence information available to our party indicates that the attack on INEC facilities is intended to prevent newly registered voters from collecting their PVCs; destroying the PVCs so that they cannot be picked up at INEC offices; and third, destroying INEC equipment and crippling their capacity to conduct elections.
“Furthermore, the APC has introduced a very disturbing dimension of buying PVCs from unsuspecting Nigerians through monetary incentives masquerading as empowerment schemes.
“In any case, our party is not surprised at the use of force by Asiwaju Tinubu and the APC; a clear acceptance of the electoral defeat that is responsible for the APC presidential candidate’s decision to boycott the signing of the National Peace Agreement by the presidential candidates in the 2023 election.
“Of course, the London meeting where Asiwaju Tinubu ordered his party members to unleash violence against Nigerians was a behind-closed-door event that inadvertently leaked to the public. The APC aimed to strike at our nation with violence and lure security agencies to focus their investigations on criminal elements and social unrest rather than the real culprit, the APC.”
In response to the allegation, Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council spokesman Festus Keyamo called on law enforcement to invite PDP leaders for questioning.
Keyamo explained that the way Ologunagba and the party concocted the allegations made at their conference suggests they know more than they are trying to deceive Nigerians.
The statement said: “This press statement, which came just under 48 hours after one of its former officials was convicted by a court of illegal acts during an election presided over by the PDP government, is indicative only to the lowest level of moral debauchery to which the PDP has sunk.
“It works without an iota of shame or respect for the Nigerian people. Instead of continually apologizing for these serious acts of vote-rigging, money-laundering, and other electoral misconduct, she continues to preach.
“Therefore, based on his recent statement of possession of ‘credible information’ about certain individuals plotting to derail the 2023 elections, including arson attacks already committed at INEC’s facilities, we are urging law enforcement to do so urgently invite the PDP leaders for immediate questioning.”
Keyamo said the PDP must provide information about the place and time of such a meeting and those present; Identities of those who committed these arson attacks at INEC’s facilities and those who sponsored them.