PDP to INEC: Don’t plunge Nigeria into crisis over election materials

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against plunging the nation into what it termed a monumental crisis.

The PDP said INEC should retrace its steps and obey the Court of Appeal which ordered it to release the election materials used for the conduct of the February 23 presidential poll for its candidate, Atiku Abubakar and his legal team to inspect.

The party in a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said INEC was allegedly standing in the way of justice and frustrating the PDP’s petition.

“The PDP cautions the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, not to plunge the nation into a monumental crisis, by refusing to obey the Court of Appeal to release the election materials used for the conduct of the February 23 presidential election.

“The continued refusal of INEC to release the electoral materials to the PDP and our legal team is completely provocative and shows that the commission is working in cahoots with the APC and the Buhari Presidency to frustrate the PDP, our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and majority of Nigerians from retrieving our mandate at the tribunal.

“INEC and the APC are apprehensive that the materials, particularly the forms EC8D and EC40G covering the nation in addition to the report of the Smart Card Readers used in the presidential election will show at the tribunal that the PDP and Atiku Abubakar clearly won the presidential election.

“The PDP has been reliably informed of how the APC and some compromised top officials of INEC have been boasting that they will never allow these materials and documents to be released to the PDP legal team.

“The refusal of INEC to release forms EC8D, EC40G and the reports of the card readers is therefore a deliberate and vicious disobedience to the orders of the court for which the management of INEC should be charged for contempt.

“The PDP calls on Nigerians to note that INEC, having rigged the election in favour of APC, is now seeking ways to frustrate our petition at the tribunal.

“We therefore charge INEC, having been exposed, to end its shenanigan and release these documents without further delay,” the party said.