You can’t blackmail Nigerians, PDP tells Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told President Muhammadu Buhari he cannot blackmail Nigerians over his impending defeat in the February 16 presidential election.

The main opposition party lamented what it described as the administration’s incessant blackmail and threats against the opposition and law -abiding Nigerians.

In a statement Tuesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said Nigerians will not buckle under the jackboots.

It also alleged efforts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to heat up the polity, inject crisis, undermine the general elections, then carry its heinous plots to use mercenaries from Niger Republic to unleash mayhem on the nation and blame it on the opposition.

This plot, the PDP alleged, is because the APC have realised that there is no way Buhari can win in a peaceful, free and fair election.

The party also drew the attention of the international community to what it described as land mines being set on the way of credible elections by the APC.

It cited the clamp down on opposition, foisting of President Buhari’s relation, Amina Zakari, as head of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) collation centre.

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The PDP also cited the refusal by President Buhari to sign the amendment to the Electoral Act, the creation of illegal geo-spatial centers and polling units for allocation of “fictitious” votes for the APC, listing of APC supporters as election officials and the opening of borders to “mercenaries” to participate in the electoral process as some of the danger signals.

The party said: “It is now clear to all that the target of the APC is to demonize and cow the opposition, instill fear in Nigerians, undermine our democratic institutions, attempt to subjugate the citizenry and pave the way for the actualization of a self-succession plan for President Buhari.

“The PDP, as a political party with the highest demography of members and supporters, in their millions, across our nation, therefore states in unequivocal terms, that Nigerians will never allow themselves to be blackmailed, intimidated or cowed by the APC into relinquishing their constitutionally guaranteed rights, to freely choose their leaders, no matter the threats.

“The PDP stands with Nigerians, across the board, in demanding for a free, fair, transparent and credible general election.

“This position must be respected, as the citizens of our country will spare no thoughts in vehemently confronting and squarely resisting, head to head, any attempt by anybody, whosoever he may be, to subvert our electoral process.”