Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused the Federal Government of intimidation and anti-democratic practices during the August 9 by-elections across the country.
Naija News reports that the by-elections, which were conducted to fill vacant senatorial and House of Representatives’ seats following deaths and resignations, were marred by allegations of vote-buying, violence, and low voter turnout.
At the end of the exercise, the All Progressives Congress won in 12 constituencies, the PDP secured one, the All Progressives Grand Alliance won two, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party clinched one.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Saturday, the PDP Governors’ Forum alleged that the exercise was tainted by excessive deployment of security forces and widespread irregularities.
“The Forum condemns the over-militarisation of last Saturday’s by-elections, characterised by widespread irregularities, vote-buying and violence, and calls on Nigerians to be more circumspect in protecting their votes,” the governors stated.
They commended party members for their loyalty in the face of what they described as “intimidation and untold anti-democratic actions of the APC-led Federal Government.”
The communiqué further read, “We urge members and supporters of our great party, as well as the entire citizenry, to hold fast to the vision and principles of the PDP, in spite of the growing intimidation of the opposition by the government in power.
“This sad situation should only be seen as the sign of the desperation of a political party with no agenda, no vision and doomed to face inevitable rejection by the masses.”
Presidency Dismisses Allegations
Reacting, the Presidency dismissed the PDP’s claims as baseless.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday Punch, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the opposition was merely struggling to explain away its poor performance.
“What anti-democratic actions and intimidation are they talking about? You contested an election and you lost. It just shows that the PDP have lost it. Instead of admitting that they have failed, they are making up excuses. There is nothing undemocratic in the posture of this government,” Ajayi said.
Ajayi argued that opposition parties were allowed to campaign and vote freely, stressing that security agencies protected their candidates.
He said, “It is in the interest of any ruling government to have a strong opposition, as it strengthens democracy and keeps the government on its toes.”
The presidential aide, however, described both the PDP and the coalition as being in “total disarray,” insisting that the Tinubu administration remains focused on repositioning the economy and will not be distracted by what he called “falsehood and excuses.”
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