Planned Kogi Rigging, A Coup Against Democracy – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been made aware and hereby
informs Nigerians of clandestine meetings involving the Presidency, the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some security
forces wherein the agencies were ordered to use official and unofficial
means necessary to ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress
(APC) in the November 21 Kogi governorship election.

We have incontrovertible records of separate meetings, late last week
between the Presidency and the new INEC leadership as well as with some
top security officers, which were coordinated by the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir Lawal, who boasted
that he has President Muhammadu Buhari’s orders to ensure that Kogi
state is wrestled from the PDP by all means.

We alert all to be aware of this planned ‘coup’, against democracy
again, by the now ‘new sherrif’, who though, being the biggest
beneficiary of free and fair election in the history of Nigeria, is now
out to corrupt the electoral system and destroy our democracy, all in
the obsession to foist a one-party state in the country.

Intelligence information available to us shows that at the meeting with
the new INEC leadership under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the commission was
given orders regarding the posting of compromised personnel to strategic
areas in the state to manipulate the card readers as well as the actual
voting process in favour of the APC, with assurance of adequate
protection by government security agencies, particularly the Directorate
of State Services (DSS).

We are aware that in another meeting also held in Abuja, the Presidency
directed summoned security officials to ensure that the forces are
maximally used to intimidate the people with a view to pave way for
compromised INEC officials to manipulate the process, alter ballot
figures and announce doctored results.

To kick off the rigging process and underscore the desperation to take
over Kogi state, the President himself is billed to be in the state on
Wednesday to endorse the APC candidate, Alhaji Audu Abubakar, a man
facing charges of corruption.

It is to say the least, an embarrassing miscarriage of justice that the
same President who rode to power on much publicized anti-corruption
credentials, would not only superintend over plots to corrupt the
electoral process, but also endorse a man facing corruption charges as
his governorship candidate.

Whereas majority of Nigerians have seen through the cosmetic
anti-corruption stance of the President Buhari-led APC government, the
PDP wishes to state in the strongest possible terms that the people of
Kogi state love their Governor and are fully in support of his
re-election bid. We therefore caution the President and the APC to watch
their steps as their plots have not only been exposed, but will also be
stiffly resisted by the people.

In this regard, the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu must note
that his legacy is at stake and that the Kogi election is for him, an
iron test. Prof. Yakubu must immediately distance himself and the
commission from this planned ‘coup’ against democracy or be ready to
hold himself responsible should there be any breakdown of law and order
in the state during and after the elections.

Let it be known to President Buhari, the APC, INEC and security forces
that no amount of force, intimidation and manipulation can bend the will
of the people of Kogi state in their preference for the PDP and Governor
Idris Wada, and that they will not accept any results that do not
reflect their wishes and aspirations at the poll.

Finally, we call on all Nigerians and the international community to
note that our president does not believe in free and fair election,
though himself being a huge beneficiary of same. He has ordered the
rigging of the November 21 governorship election in Kogi state, an
ignoble planned overthrow of democracy, for which he is now leading in
the front.