The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged voters not to be scared by what the party described as a shoot-on-sight directive against would-be ballot box snatchers.
President Muhammadu Buhari had, on Monday, ordered the military and other security agencies to deal ruthlessly with anyone caught snatching ballot boxes during tomorrow’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, urged Nigerians to be focussed and refuse to be intimidated as they go out to cast their votes.
The party chair described the President’s directive as a ploy to manipulate the result of the elections.
Secondus said: “When the President threatened the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the elections were rescheduled, the intention was to frighten and cow them into playing along with the All Progressives Congress (APC) agenda.
“When they harass, arrest and block bank accounts of the opposition stakeholders, what they want is to win at all cost.
“When they drag military institutions into politics, the aim is obviously to destroy that institution the way they are doing to the legislature and the judiciary.
“But I urge you Nigerians to refuse to be intimidated or provoked but remain focused and fix your eyes on the ball, which is victory that is coming on Sunday.
The chairman appealed to stakeholders in the election, particularly the INEC, security agencies and political party agents, to remember that the election is about Nigeria.
“This election is about rescuing this country. It’s about sustaining our democracy.”
The chairman of the Strategy Committee of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Osita Chidoka, said that the world was watching Nigeria and urged voters to be patient, peaceful and tolerant.
He urged Nigerians to demonstrate to Africa and the world that the country is irrevocably committed to democracy, transparency and the rule of law.
Chidoka said the PDP had learnt its lessons from previous elections and so determined to give Nigerians the confidence that their votes, as expressed at the ballot, will count.
He said: “Local and international observer groups have set up various models of vote tabulation that will enhance the credibility and validity of the election.
“All parties have had the privilege of reviewing the official PVT system’s potential to scientifically and statistically validate the election within an acceptable margin of error.”
According to him, the PDP is fully prepared to resist intimidation, extrajudicial procedures and partisanship on the part of security agencies.
