Off-cycle polls: Anarchy imminent if justice continues to elude people – PDP

The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb Umar Damagum, has raised an alarm that Nigeria might soon slide into anarchy if justice continues to elude the people at the polls and in the courts.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters Tuesday evening following the conclusion of the off season elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states, Damagum said the election was characterized by violence, intimidation and high handedness.

Damagum flanked by other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party said the outcome of the election had further confirmed that the electoral body had “completely derailed from the road it was supposed to take.”

He lamented that people had lost confidence; voters were completely disenfranchised due to the complicity of some of the agencies that were to help to have a very fair election but they completely compromised.

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He said, “This election is worst than even the one we had earlier. I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians that this is not what we bargained for and also express our fear that if we go on in this kind of manner, I am afraid that come other elections that will be off season which is coming up very soon, may be there will be no election in this country. It will be a written result.

“However, those that have been be cheated in this election should pursue their grievance through the lawful means even though we have doubts that even the lawful means is also a sad story. In a country where justice is not dispensed, then anarchy is imminent.”

Speaking on the situation in the party, Damagum said the NWC was committed to making sure that the party” remained indivisible “and called on members to have a sober reflection about what transpired and their roles before, during and after the elections.

He said: “As you can see, we’ve been doing everything possible to make sure that this party remain indivisible and we will continue to do that. I want to urge our members to be very cautious especially in the way and manner they state things. They should always state facts because it is only the facts that lasts. I want to assure them that we will continue to do justice to all.

“We are ready to take all the blames because after every election there will be blames but all members should reflect on the roles they played during campaigns, during elections and after. We should have a self-reflection so that at the end of the day, we shall know weather we are doing the right thing because we all need this party. Our duty here is to make sure that this party remains indivisible.”