Spurred by the electoral victory of the President-elect, Felix Tshiekedi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation is accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Police of allegedly fomenting crises and violent attacks against their members and accordinglycautioned that Nigerians will no longer continue to tolerate such ‘’incendiary acts’’ ahead of the elections.
The elated campaign organisation has congratulated the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the President-elect, Tshiekedi, for the triumph of the people’s verdict in the just concluded Presidential election in that country.
PDP Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, says the defeat of ruling party’s candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, is another pointer to the impending defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16 presidential election, as African nation consolidates on entrenching of purposeful leadership in the continent.
According to the PDP, ‘’it is instructive to note that the people of DRC asserted their power of control and prevailed in enthroning the leadership of their choice, noting that such determination is inevitable in the February 16, 2019 Presidential election in Nigeria. The victory of opposition candidate and particularly the relegation of the ruling party to third position in the election despite the daunting challenges is a confidence booster for Nigerians on Atiku Abubakar’s victory despite the shenanigans and rigging schemes of the Buhari Presidency and the APC.
‘’Nigerians should not also forget that in March 2018, opposition candidate in Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio defeated the ruling party’s candidate. In December 2017, opposition George Weah defeated the sitting Vice President Joseph Boakai of Liberia while in December 2016, opposition party candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo defeated the incumbent President of Ghana, John Mahama.
‘’Those relying on rigging to shortchange Nigerians on February 16 should therefore be reminded, that as demonstrated in the DRC, the power of the people remains greater than the power of this nepotistic few.
”We therefore call on all Nigerians, particularly, the over 17 million Nigerians who have been rendered jobless by the Buhari Presidency as well as all victims of the mindless killings encouraged by government’s negligence and incompetence, to remain resolute in the national resolve to vote in the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the next president to restore good governance, national cohesion and economic prosperity in our land.’’
Ologbondiyan said his party particularly condemns in totality, Wednesday’s ‘’unwarranted attack and use of brute force, including firing of tear gas by the Police against thousands of law-abiding members of the PDP in Gumel, Jigawa State, on instigation of agents of Buhari Presidency and the APC to forcefully stop our rally in the state.’’
They are equally condemning the unprovoked invasion and violent attack on
the Ondo State campaign office of their presidential candidate, Atiku, by armed thugs allegedly sponsored by the APC. ‘’This is in addition to series of other attacks by the APC and the police, including arresting and detaining our members on trumped-up charges, as well as pulling down our campaign materials in various states of the federation.
‘’It is now clear that the Buhari Presidency, having realised that their smear campaigns against our party and Presidential candidate cannot change the resolve by Nigerians to rally behind our candidate, Atiku, has now resorted to physically attacking and unleashing violence against our members.
‘’We know that the Buhari Presidency had to deploy brute force to disrupt our rally in Jigawa state when it realised that the rally will amplify and reinforce President Buhari and APC’s rejection, particularly in their supposed stronghold, the North West. Police now have the order to harass, intimidate and unleash violence on our members in a bid to intimidate and instill fear in our people across the nation’’, PDP said.
Continuing, the party said it informed the alleged ferociousness exhibited by the police in the Jigawa attack where according to them, many of their members were manhandled, injured and traumatised by armed policemen despite the fact that our party obtained official permission from the Police and the Directorate of State Services (DSS) for the rally.
Adding, PDP said, ‘’we have it on good authority that the attack on our Presidential campaign office in Ondo was coordinated by the APC, which is now in frenetic mode over the soaring popularity of our party and Presidential candidate in the South West geo-political zone. We are therefore, inviting Nigerians and the international community to note this dangerous dimension, which holds an ominous sign that the 2019 election is already under siege by the Buhari Presidency and the APC, who have now listed the Police as an instrument of terror against Nigerians.
‘’The APC and Buhari Presidency is putting security agencies, particularly, the police, on collision course with the citizens and this portends great danger to our democracy and corporate existence as a nation, as Nigerians will never succumb to any instrument of intimidation. Accordingly, we are urging President Buhari to come to terms with the fact that Nigerians are fed up with his incompetent, corrupt and anti-people administration. They now prefer Atiku as their next President and no amount of brutality, intimidation and violence against the people will change their resolve.’’
