Politics
Don’t throw Nigeria into anarchy, FG warns PDP
Ahead of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections, the Federal Government has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to throw Nigerian into anarchy out of its “desperation to grab power at all cost.”
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, gave the warning on Thursday while briefing the media in Ilorin, Kwara State, adding that Nigeria’s unity and survival override any party’s ambition.
He said, “The ongoing attempt by the PDP to discredit the results of the yet-to-be held 2019 general elections is an invitation to anarchy.
“Consistently, the PDP has been attacking the two national institutions that are most pivotal to the elections – the INEC and the police. This is part of the party’s strategy to erode confidence in the institutions, preparatory to faulting the outcome of the elections.
“We have also been calling national and international attention to this strategy by the PDP. We warned that the PDP will do everything to scuttle the polls, failing which the opposition party will work to discredit the results. The persistent accusation of planned rigging of the polls, which is not evidence-based, the not-so-subtle threat of violence issued by the PDP at its press conference on Wednesday and the setting up of the PVT are all geared to achieve one objective: discredit the election results,” Mohammed said.
He said while it is standard practice for political parties to have their own monitoring system during elections, what the PDP intends to achieve through the PVT is to set up a pseudo electoral commission that will announce its own concocted results and throw the nation into crisis.
The Minister however warned the PDP of very dire consequences, should it proceed to usurp the role of INEC.
READ ALSO: Buhari’s nationwide broadcast proves he’s not a leader to be reelected – Atiku
“INEC is the only body statutorily imbued with the power to collate and announce the results of national elections. The penalties for any individual or organization that usurps these functions are clearly spelt out. It is therefore necessary to remind the PDP not to sabotage the 2019 general elections on the altar of desperation,” he said.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...