The People’s Democratic Party has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress of undermining democracy and disrespecting the memory of the late Chief Moshood Abiola, a martyr of struggle, as Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora commemorate the 30th anniversary of the presidential election that was invalidated on June 12, 1993, also known as Democracy Day, on Monday. In a statement released by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP asked Nigerians to take advantage of the event to call for the enshrinement of democratic principles in the nation’s polity.
“The barefaced manipulations of the 2023 general elections by the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission amounts to an unpardonable assault and rape of democracy and disregard for the will of the people—the very ills for which Chief MKO Abiola fought and died.
“June 12 epitomises the struggle by Nigerians against corrupt, manipulative and anti-democratic system; against injustice, impunity and electoral fraud which INEC, under Prof Mahmood Yakubu, now represents.
“It is, indeed, heartrending that all the steady progress and gains made by successive PDP administrations in reforming our electoral system have been completely wiped off by INEC in the conduct of the 2023 general elections,” Ologunagba said.
Also, PDP’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar stated that democracy still leaves the populace vulnerable to dictatorial tendencies in the absence of a corresponding commitment to the principles of fairness and fidelity to the rules of play by stakeholders in conducting elections. He made this statement while addressing Nigerians on the occasion of Democracy Day.
“As I congratulate Nigerians on this day, in celebration of the return to civil rule, I call our consciousness to the reality that democracy in Nigeria remains in bondage, and it will need the energy of all of us to rescue it.”
“On this occasion of Democracy Day, it is time for us to reflect as a people and a country on our journey to becoming a democratic society.”
In response to the statement, the All Progressives Congress lambasted the opposition PDP for what it claimed was a double standard in the wake of its defeat in the most recent presidential election. In a phone conversation with the PUNCH newspaper, the Director of Publicity for the APC, Bala Ibrahim, said, “If you have any objections regarding the decision of the electoral umpire, all you need to do is follow the legal channels as provided for by democracy. That strategy is being actively pursued by the PDP. However, it is clear to me that they do not think the election results will be accurate. Could it be said that they have abandoned their tribunal petition? Are they transitioning from democratic leaders to autocrats or dictators now? The All Progressive Congress further said if anyone should be ashamed of themselves, it should be the People’s Democratic Party.
“If there is anybody that should be ashamed of themselves, it should be the PDP. They are the ones talking from both sides of the mouths. You cannot be engaged in a game which rules you agreed to and simply because you have lost as pronounced by the umpire, you now want to say the rules of the game have not been followed. What are they saying?”
