2023: APC, PDP trade words over incessant attacks on INEC’s facilities

Joel Oladele-Abuja

Following the nationwide incessant attacks on facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and assets, especially in Imo State in recent time, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has engaged the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a face-off.

In a  statement signed by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barr. Felix Morka on Thursday, he described as dumb allegation, the PDP’s recent press conference making the rounds where APC was accused as the mastermind behind the attacks.

The PDP has earlier alleged that APC was plotting to scuttle the 2023 general election by sponsoring attacks on INEC’s facilities to prevent new registrants from collecting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs); destroy PVCs to forestall collection by potential voters; destroy INEC’s equipment and cripple its capacity to conduct elections; and create tension across the country.

The PDP went further by claiming that the intelligence available to their party also revealed that APC allegedly will hide under the attacks to validate a narrative that elections cannot hold, then orchestrate a constitutional crisis with a view to justifying a shift of the elections and perpetuate certain APC elements in office beyond May 29, 2023.

Morka in a swift reaction said the violent attacks against INEC facilities and staff are very serious matters of national concern and security and has potential to destabilise the set electoral programme on which the viability and sustainability of democracy depends and as such shouldn’t be a flimsy matter that anyone or political party should appropriate as “material for a morbid comedy skit as the PDP chooses to do and has done quite consistently during this electoral season.”

The statement reads, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to outdo its own record of disgraceful display of despicable desperation and despondency in the conduct of its public affairs. Utterly discombobulated by prospects of impending annihilation at the polls, the PDP has dived deeper into its murky cesspool of confusion, calumny and unmitigated irrationality.

“Barely 65 days to the 2023 Presidential Election, the PDP remains preoccupied with spewing gibberish and falsehoods as a choice electoral strategy at a time when serious political parties are digging deep, canvassing votes and building viable electoral networks.

“Afflicted by its infamy, the PDP’s latest incoherent press conference built entirely on malicious lies and unimaginative conjecture only certifies the party’s irredeemable descent into the dark abyss of inglorious political history.”

The party reiterated “the commitment of APC to support INEC in its efforts to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2023 and urged security agencies to up their game to ensure the perpetrators of such dastardly acts are brought to book in due time.”

The statement added that “if indeed PDP has the interest of Nigerians at heart, the so-called information at their disposal on the attacks should be made available to security stakeholders rather than attempting to score a cheap political point from such national misfortune.

“As a responsible ruling Party that we are, the All Progressives Congress (APC) abhors all forms of violence and electoral malpractices. We stand united with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its effort to conduct a free, transparent and fair election next year. We have and continue to, unequivocally, condemn attacks on INEC’s facilities and staff, and urge our security agencies to protect these important facilities, and to bring perpetrators of these acts to justice.

“A responsible political actor or party that has any credible and actionable intelligence on matters as serious as plots to destabilize our national elections would turn that information or ‘intelligence’ over to our many law enforcement agencies for full and thorough investigation and possible arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.

“It is crassly irresponsible for the PDP and its officials to drown the airwaves and news wires with dubious and immature cacophony of falsehoods, phantom plots and conspiracy theories,” the party said.

It added that the unprecedented achievements of President Buhari is a clear indication that APC is winning the 2023 elections fair and square and can’t do anything to disrupt an election it’s sure of its victory.

It further said that “PDP is only intimidated by the popularity of its(APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu amongst the electorates, who by all indications is already coasting to victory.

“Without a doubt, the PDP’s false alarm and baseless allegations against our great party only belies their twisted wish that next year’s election be averted as a face-saving exit strategy for what they already know would turn out to be a well-rounded electoral interment of their decadent and expired party.

“PDP’s vain attempt to associate our respected and respectable Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to their imagined plot to disrupt our elections is beyond the pale. PDP has always been intimidated by the towering popularity of our Presidential Candidate who is tirelessly traversing the length and breadth of our country justifying his bid for the highest office in the land, and renewing hope of a more vibrant future for all Nigerians.

“It is clearly illogical and infantile to suggest, as the PDP attempts to do, that the undisputed front runner and preferred Candidate to win next year’s Presidential election, bolstered by the profound accomplishments of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, would engage in acts or plots to scuttle an election he is eminently confident of winning. Nigerians are smarter and more discerning than the PDP believes them to be.

“It bears mentioning for the umpteenth time that one of many legacies APC is bequeathing to Nigeria, is an independent and credible electoral system. The new Electoral Act, the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS); the conduct of credible off-season elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti; adequate funding of INEC and improved capability of the security forces remain pointers to this unassailable fact.

“While the PDP keeps busy milling falsehood and propaganda as preferred electoral strategy, we choose to remain undistracted, resolute and focused on serving Nigerians and soliciting their valued support ahead of the 2023 general elections,” it said.