2023 Polls: History Won’t Be Kind To You, PDP Replies President Muhammadu Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said history won’t be kind to President Muhammadu Buhari over his role in the outcome of the 2019 and 2023 general elections.

The PDP also demanded an investigation into the roles played by President Buhari in  undermining democracy in Nigeria in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.

It also called for sanctions and travel ban against the president and his family members.

The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, stated this during a press conference while reacting to Buhari’s recent comments on the recent election.

Ologunagba who described the comments as unfortunate, reckless, unpresidential conduct and subjudice, said it was already causing apprehension and capable of destroying the corporate existence of the nation.

The party noted that the February 25, 2023 presidential election had been adjudged across the nation and globally as the worst in the history of the country.

He said; “The general despondency, resentment and anger across our country; the damning reports by election observers and the pervading international contempt against Nigeria since the declaration of the APC candidate as president-elect are ominous testaments that he does not have the mandate of majority of Nigerians derivable only from a credible electoral process.

“As you are also aware, the PDP is already at the tribunal with the prospect of reclaiming the mandate freely given to our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the election.

“Nigerians and the international community are therefore appalled, horrified and scandalised by the careless, unguarded and subjudice comment by President Buhari in which he attempted to justify the rigging of the election by the APC under his watch.

“This statement reveals the utter disregard that General Buhari has for our constitutional democracy, judiciary and the will of the Nigerian people as expressed at the election.

“It is, to say the least, reprehensible for Mr. President to posture and gloat over the trampling of the will of Nigerians, blame the opposition for being overconfident and, according to him, for not being “tactical”, perhaps enough to outwit the violence, brutality, threats, suppression of voters, rigging and election manipulations by the APC and the government which he heads.

“It is unpardonable that President Buhari, who swore to uphold the laws of our country and made several commitments to the world to ensure free, fair, credible and transparent election, is rather in approval of election rigging through manifest compromise of INEC system and wide-spread alteration, falsification and switching of election results in favour of his rejected party, the APC.

“President Buhari is practically gloating over the undermining of democracy by INEC which refused to transmit directly results from the Polling Units to its Server/Website and announce same, in total violation of the express provisions of Section 64 Sub-section 4 (a) (b) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“More distressing is that after superintending over the rigging of the election, President Buhari, by his subjudice comments apparently seeks to bully, blackmail and influence the judiciary and the outcome of the petition pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, so as to allow his Party, the APC and its candidate to “grab, snatch and run” with the people’s mandate.

“The PDP in clear terms tells President Buhari and his APC that our party and candidate, Atiku Abubakar clearly won the election as shown by the authentic results from majority of Polling Units across the country.

“The PDP did not lose the Presidential election as claimed by President Buhari and we are not willing to surrender the mandate freely given to our Party by the people irrespective of the threats, bullying and manipulation by the APC-led administration.

“Nigerians believed and expected President Buhari to leave a legacy of a free, fair and credible election based on his numerous undertakings and promises but he is leaving an ignoble, dishonorable and disgraceful legacy of enabling and superintending over the worst election conducted in the history of democracy in Nigeria. President Buhari, history will never be kind to you!

“It is instructive to state that part of the electoral process is the adjudication by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which is considering petitions arising from the election. President Buhari, by his subjudice statement is clearly interfering in electoral process ostensibly to influence the outcome and undermine the constitutionally laid down procedures for change of government.”