APC responsible for burning of INEC offices – PDP

By Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the burning of assets and offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in different parts of the country.

In a statement on Tuesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party restated its earlier allegation that the APC has been promoting acts of violence across the country.

According to the main opposition party, the burning of INEC offices is meant to create an emergency situation and frustrate the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections.

The INEC chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu had, last week, expressed concerns over burning of the Commission’s assets in 23 of its offices across the country, saying the trend might hamper the capacity of the electoral body to conduct the 2023 general election.

The statement said: “It is despicable that having realised that it has no place in the 2023 election, given its abysmal failure in governance, APC leaders are seeking to set our country ablaze and truncate our hard-earned democracy.

“The PDP invites Nigerians to note the failure of the APC and its leaders to forcefully condemn this clear assault on our frontline institution of democracy. This is also as the APC administration has failed to take decisive steps to protect INEC facilities from assailants.

“Our party wants the APC to know that May 29, 2023 date is sacrosanct for it to leave office, free our nation from its stranglehold and fizzle out from our political firmament.

“Indeed, history will not be kind to APC and its leaders given the magnitude of atrocities they have committed against Nigerians in a space of six years.

“The APC has destroyed our nation, opened our dear fatherland to bandits and terrorists, turned our nation into an expansive killing field and a large funeral palour.

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“APC has wrecked our economy, opened our national vaults to its leaders to pillage over N15 trillion naira and reduced our once thriving country to a beggar nation while mortgaging our future with humongous foreign debts”.

The PDP called on the Inspector General of Police to immediately invite and question APC leaders over the burning of INEC offices.

“Nigerians also expect the police to immediately place APC leaders and their thugs on watch list as a firm step to guarantee the security of INEC facilities and other institutions of democracy in the country.

“The PDP also calls on Nigerians, across board, to remain at alert and unite in prayers so that our nation survives the next two years under the vindictive, insensitive, incompetent, treasury looting, divisive and violent APC and its administration.

“Our party further urges Nigerians not to be deterred by the actions of the APC but to remain united in rallying in the defense of our democracy to rescue our nation from the misrule of the APC,” the PDP added.