24th November, 2019
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the “worst electoral umpire in the political history” of Nigeria.
The party declared this position on Saturday in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The party also said it would fly its flags at half mast over the alleged killing of innocent Nigerians during the 16 November governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.
The PDP’s position on Yakubu will certainly stir political debate as Nigeria has had several electoral umpires vilified by political actors. Among them were Eyo Esua in the First Republic, Victor Ovie Whiskey in the Second Republic, Abel Guobadia and Maurice Iwu, in the Current republic.
The PDP said President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) do not want democracy to thrive in Nigeria, adding that Nigerians across board had completely lost faith in the nation’s electoral process under the current regime.
The PDP also rejected the proposed Kogi West Senatorial rerun election.
The party argued that as long as the figures in the main election were allegedly flawed, the proposed rerun cannot reflect the wishes of the electorate and Nigerians.
“For us in the PDP and, we believe, to majority of Nigerians as well, Professor Yakubu is the worst electoral umpire in the political history of our nation.
“Furthermore, the police and the military high commands have been reduced to tools of election brutality to ensure that votes do not count.
“Even the Police high command has openly admitted that the police is incapable of protecting voters and votes; thus validating the reported involvement of security agents in the brutalization of voters and disruption of electoral process.
“More distressing is the fact that Nigerians, particularly our members and supporters in Kogi and Bayelsa states, are still in trauma over the murderous November 16 elections. A lot of our people have been killed and our members are still grieving,” the party said.