Senate bye election: PDP blasts APC, says Poll credible

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday in Abuja, the Nigerian capital said the Delta Central senatorial bye-election was free, fair and credible.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Olisa Metuh, in a statement said that the people freely gave their mandate to the PDP candidate, Mr Emmanuel Agwariavwodo.

In response to the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) position that the elections were flawed, Metuh berated the rival party for “not being bold and sportsmanlike enough to accept its straight defeat in the election.

“In protesting the outcome of an election where it did not get up to 10 per cent of the total votes cast, the APC has shown that it remains a party borne out of violence and desperation.’’

He said it was unfortunate that the APC had failed to understand that it does not have the support of Nigerians.

The PDP spokesman described the APC as “a party borne out of violence and religious extremism.’’

He said that in protesting against an election where it lost woefully, the APC was merely “rehearsing its excuses ahead of the 2015 general elections.’’

Metuh urged the opposition party to emulate the PDP which was always bold to accept defeat in states won by opposition parties in the past.

“The APC should learn from the PDP, we were sportsmanlike and noble to concede and accept defeat in Edo and Ondo states respectively.

“It must learn that in a democracy, the will of the people is supreme and must be accepted. It must begin to learn to bear the pain of defeat,’’ Metuh advised.

He thanked the people of Delta for their support and assured them that the PDP would always remain committed to the welfare of Nigerians.