SDP criticizes Buhari’s comments on fair electoral process

President Muhammadu Buhari was on Monday chastised by the Social Democratic Party over comments about a free and fair election in Nigeria.

The party stated that the president must ensure a level playing field for political parties during the governorship election in Ekiti State.

The SDP also slammed Buhari for claiming that the All Progressive Congress would win the upcoming governorship election in Ekiti State, stressing that this might jeopardize the democratic process’ overall credibility.

Shehu Gaban, the party’s National Chairman, made the remarks in Abuja during the inauguration of the party’s National Convention Organising Committee ahead of the June 8 presidential primary poll.

Other members of the committee included Dr. Olu Agunloye (Secretary); Ibrahim Modibo (Deputy Chairman); Dr. Umar Ardo, Nseobong Akpabio, Emmanuel Ojukwu, Saadatu Abdullahi, Maggie Batubo, Alkali Mohammed and Gift Wada.

Gaban said the committee, which is led by Chief Segun Oni, a former governor of Ekiti state and the party’s governorship candidate, will hold a convention where delegates would nominate the party’s presidential candidate.

While speaking with journalists, he stated that the president had failed to fulfill his commitment to leave Nigerians with a legacy of free and fair elections.

He said, “I’m confident that what the President said is a distraction to the APC and not the SDP; the SDP will win Ekiti State. Buhari has no right to intervene in other states and who becomes the governor. The citizens of that state will determine who becomes the governor of the state.

“This same Buhari has said more than ten times that he wants to leave a legacy of free and fair elections; so far that legacy has not been displayed anywhere even within the APC. The crisis in the APC is because there’s a lack of transparency.

“For the President to make that remark, maybe it’s simply because we will not allow his party to rig in Ekiti State. So far, they are not close to where we are in Ekiti State.”

Read also: Ekiti SDP accuses APC of vote-buying, as govt collects BVNs of civil servants

Gaban added that they have written to relevant authorities including Buhari to ensure a free and fair election in Ekiti State.

“We have written letters to Embassies in Nigeria, INEC, and the President and Commander in Chief that anything short of a transparent process will not be acceptable. And Ekiti will be a litmus test for this same President who talked about a legacy of free and fair elections.

“We have written a letter to him that he must ensure that there’s a free and fair election in Ekiti state. Because it is not about him; he doesn’t own Nigeria.”

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