The Federal Government has warned the main opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) not to throw Nigeria into anarchy out of its
desperation to grab power at all cost, saying Nigeria’s unity and
survival override any party’s ambition.
Briefing the media in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Thursday, the Minister
of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the ongoing
attempt by the PDP to discredit the results of the yet-to-be held
general elections is an invitation to anarchy.
He said the latest manifestation of PDP’s avowed determination to
discredit the results of the 2019 elections is the statement credited
to the opposition party that it lacks confidence in the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party’s decision to set
up what it calls the Parallel Voting Tabulation (PVT) System.
”Consistently, the PDP has been attacking the two national
institutions that are most pivotal to the elections – the INEC and the
police. This is part of the party’s strategy to erode confidence in
the institutions, preparatory to faulting the outcome of the
elections.
”We have also been calling national and international attention to
this strategy by the PDP. We warned that the PDP will do everything to
scuttle the polls, failing which the opposition party will work to
discredit the results. The persistent accusation of planned rigging of
the polls, which is not evidence-based, the not-so-subtle threat of
violence issued by the PDP at its press conference on Wednesday and
the setting up of the PVT are all geared to achieve one objective:
discredit the election results,” Mohammed said.
He said while it is standard practice for political parties to have
their own monitoring system during elections, what the PDP intends to
achieve through the PVT is to set up a pseudo electoral commission
that will announce its own concocted results and throw the nation into
crisis.
The Minister, however, warned the PDP of very dire consequences, should
it proceed to usurp the role of INEC.
”INEC is the only body statutorily imbued with the power to collate
and announce the results of national elections. The penalties for any
individual or organization that usurps these functions are clearly
spelt out. It is, therefore, necessary to remind the PDP not to sabotage
the 2019 general elections on the altar of desperation,” he said.
Mohammed said it is particularly instructive that the PDP’s
threat was issued on the same day its presidential candidate joined
the candidates of other political parties to sign the second peace
accord.
”The threat of fire and brimstone issued by the PDP, for no reason at
all, is incongruent with the stated position of its presidential
candidate that his ambition is not worth the life of any Nigerian.
Attacks on the institutions charged with organizing and securing the
elections constitute a recipe for anarchy, while anarchy spares no
one’s life!” he said.
The Minister called on security agencies to ensure that no one
precipitates chaos before, during and after the elections, and urged
Nigerians to come out in large numbers to peacefully exercise their
franchise.
