The Peoples Denocratic Party, PDP, has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of the plot by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to procure the much-needed 25 percent of the votes in Imo and Ebonyi States in its bid to get national spread.
The warning was contained in statement the party released today in Abuja.
It reads in part: “We have it on credible grounds that our main opponent in this election, the All Progressives Congress party, is currently mounting pressure in attempts to bribe their way to securing 25 per cent performance in both Imo and Ebonyi states.
“It is on the merits of this intelligence that we are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to apply necessary precaution before announcing procured results in the presidential election from these two states. Our presidential candidate had yesterday urged the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to instruct Collation Officers to upload results from the Polling Units to the INEC server to avert those results from being compromised by Governors of the ruling party who were shopping for numbers to make up for their shortfalls.
“As we speak, the APC has not been able to meet the 25 per cent threshold and demand that INEC should not cave in to the pressures and desperation of the APC to buy advantages for itself in this regard.
“Similarly, we have it on good grounds that the APC are currently making attempts to shore up votes from Lagos State to their advantage.”
The party said further: “We have been following the trend of post election activities and it is our desire to reset certain wrong impressions being created to confuse the public.
“From already collated results data we are proud to inform Nigerians that the Peoples Democratic Party remains in the lead in the election of last weekend.
“We remain the only political party which has secured the necessary 25 per cent spread across 24 states in the country. No other political party has been able to cross this essential constitutional requirement.
“As a matter of fact, From already collated results, the APC is not leading in Lagos and we have credible information that they are currently shopping for means of manufacturing humongous figures to their advantage in the state.
“Similarly, we urge the Independent National Electoral Commission to resist the pressure being mounted on it by the APC to compromise the Lagos Central Senatorial District election where the Peoples Democratic Party is in clear lead. We further urge the electoral commission to put substantial surveillance on Lagos State. The APC are doing all within their means to cheat in Lagos.
“Our demand for INEC’s precaution is not limited to Lagos. It extends to other states in the Southwest and selected states in the North including Katsina, Yobe, and Borno among others.
“To the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, we want to specially thank you for the terrific work that you have done to put our great party on the path towards victory in the election.
“Through your incredible efforts we are happy to inform you, our members, that we are doing extremely well in the Northwest and the Northeast. We are competitive in the South south and North central. No other party has the kind of leading edge that we have in this election.
“We urge you all our esteemed members to disregard the mind games being played by the APC. From our standpoint, the APC has no justifiable path to winning this election. Unlike the PDP, the APC lacks the spread and unlike the PDP, the figures are not adding up for them.”
The PDP urged its members to be vigilant, remain steadfast and peaceful.