Chukwudi Nweje

PMB Front, a support group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the votes he recorded in the South West during last Saturday’s presidential election.

The group also accused leaders of the APC in the region of “arrogating to itself the role of leader plenipotentiary” when “their political output has started waning.

“We wish to bring to the attention of the Presidency the need for an investigation into the dismal showing of the South West in the election of Mr. President.

“This has become very pertinent in the context of the seemingly over bloated sense of self-importance of some political leaders from the zone.”

The group regretted that despite Lagos State having five million registered voters and a political leadership in the APC, it only managed to deliver only over 130,000 votes difference over the People’s democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

It also lamented that the APC won the South West states narrowly and asked Buhari to re-assess the basis of mobilisation and support for APC; before the next round of elections.

“Lagos state, with its over five million registered voters, and a political leadership within our great party that is solid, was only able to deliver over 130,000 votes difference in defeating the PDP.

“Ekiti, with the least number of registered voters in Nigeria, by comparison, had a better showing than Lagos.

“Ogun state, where many had thought President Buhari would suffer the greatest loss, still made a winning margin of over 80,000 votes.

“In Osun, our party managed to defeat the PDP with just about 10,000 votes,  at great cost and the burning of an Independent national Electoral commission (INEC) office in the state.

“We lost Ondo, lost Oyo and even the incumbent governor could not secure a senate ticket.

“The South West could not deliver more than some 350,000 votes margin of victory.

“It would be important to look into why the South West’s voting margin of just about 350,000, was wiped out by about the margin of victory for the PDP in Enugu State”, the group said.

Meanwhile, the Mandate Protection Vanguard (MPV), has taken a swipe at Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for congratulating Buhari.

MVP National President, Celestine Eromonsele, described the act as “an endorsement of illegality.