PDP tackles BMO over “neutrality” claim
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday has lampooned the Buhari Media Organization (BMO) over the its claim that President Muhammadu Buhari’s non-interference in the electoral process was the reason his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost in some states in the recently concluded governorship elections.
This is even as the party accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conniving with the ruling party to declare elections in some states of the federation “won by the PDP,” inconclusive.
In a statement jointly signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, BMO’s chairman and secretary respectively, the group attributed the loss APC suffered in some states, to President Buhari’s decision not to interfere in the governorship elections.
“It was unthinkable that a ruling party in Nigeria would lose crucial states so soon after winning a Presidential election. Nigerians are used to Presidents using their enormous powers to retain their party in power at state level at all cost regardless of the people’s will but President Buhari has shown himself to be different in spite of what his perennial critics want Nigerians to believe“, BMO’s statement read in part.
In a reaction to this, however, spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said contrary to the allusion to neutrality by BMO, Nigerians have rejected the APC, saying their “loss” in the states that have been declared inconclusive, is a testament to the people’s determination to get rid of the ruling party.
He said: “The APC has been rejected by Nigerians and that again played out in the recently concluded governorship elections. If Buhari is truly neutral, we challenge INEC to announce the results of Benue, Bauchi, Kano, Adamawa, Sokoto and Plateau states, where the PDP clearly won the elections.
“Why are they holding on to Rivers state? Results in these states are in the public domain and Nigerians know that we won clearly.”
“INEC is in criminal accord with the APC and that is why they are so confused, especially in Rivers where they don’t know what to do next. But Nigerians have spoken and their votes must count.”
The publicity scribe urged Nigerians and PDP supporters nationwide to remain calm, stressing that no matter how long it takes, the party would not allow any state the people entrust to it to slip away.
APC recently lost Oyo and Imo states to the PDP and it was also in the lead in the aforementioned states prior to the declaration of inconclusiveness by the electoral umpire.
