#NigeriaDecides: Atiku’s campaign accuses APC of plotting to manipulate votes in Imo, Ebonyi, Lagos

The campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plots to manipulate the result of elections in Imo and Ebonyi states.

A spokesperson of the Atiku campaign, Dele Momodu, made the accusations in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES.

The campaign also claimed that it was the only party currently meeting the constitutional threshold of scoring 25 per cent of votes in two-thirds of the states of Nigeria and Abuja.

“We remain the only political party which has secured the necessary 25 per cent spread across 24 states in the country,” it said.

Being the text of the conference addressed by Bashorun Dele Momodu on behalf of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council on Monday, 27th February 2023 at the Headquarters of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation in Abuja.

Good morning gentlemen of the press. On Saturday, the 25th of February, Nigerians turned out in large numbers to cast their votes in the presidential and National Assembly election. On behalf of our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, we wish to thank all Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliations for turning up to vote for the candidates of their choice.

We also want to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agencies and all other paramilitary forces for ensuring that the atmosphere of the election was peaceful.

Having cast their votes, Nigerians are earnestly expecting the results to be announced. It is also their expectation that the announced results will be in alignment with the ballots they had cast. As a campaign, we expect nothing less.

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, 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 have their way to secure 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 precautions before announcing procured results in the presidential election from these two states. Our presidential candidate had yesterday urged the INEC Chairman, 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 some Governors of the ruling party who were shopping for numbers to make up for their shortfalls.

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As we speak, the APC has not been able to meet the 25 per cent threshold and we 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 is currently making attempts to shore up votes from Lagos State to their advantage. 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 a 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.

There is extensive ongoing manipulation of results in Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara, among other states where result sheets are being changed and uploaded. INEC MUST not declare any result until the BVAS machines are verified. In areas where the PDP is winning, results are being cancelled.

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 and to assure you that the Recover Nigeria project is on course.

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.

Therefore, we urge PDP members to be vigilant, remain steadfast, and be peaceful.