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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of operating double standards in the conduct of elections.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, rejected INEC’s declaration of governorship elections in states where its candidate are leading as inconclusive.
The electoral body had declared governorship elections in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau, Kano and Sokoto states inconclusive, because the margin of lead was less than cancelled votes in the affected states.
“The hierarchy of the party condemns, in very strong terms, the manner in which the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, declared states where PDP had popular support and defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) as inconclusive, whereas, in a state like Ogun state, where APC failed to achieve a higher margin of lead over cancelled votes, was declared the winner.
“The PDP found it strange that INEC can have two sets of rules in the same election for the various political parties.
“More worrisome is the resolution which arose from a meeting between some governors of the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari, where the PDP has been informed that a decision was taken to seize Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto and Kano states in the March 23, scheduled supplementary election,” the party stated.
Regardless, the PDP said it is poised to win the March 23 supplementary poll in the affected states.
It noted that “in Sokoto state, a stronghold of our party and where the PDP is already in a clear lead, our victory at the March 23 supplementary election is guaranteed.
“In Benue, the people have expressed their readiness to go into the supplementary election and they are prepared to vote for the PDP candidate, Governor Samuel Ortom.
“They are also aware that by PDP’s current leading margin of over 81,000 votes, it is manifestly clear that there is no way APC, with all its manipulations, militarization, arm-twisting, intimidation and harassment, will defeat the PDP in Benue.
