SAHARANEWS – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, has condemned the postponement of the 2019 general elections across the country.
Recall that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had on the early hours of Saturday, announced the postponement of the National and States elections, citing logistics reasons.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections earlier scheduled for February 16 will now hold on February 23, while that of the Governorship and States House of Assembly has been rescheduled for March 9.
In a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Abia, Mr. Don Ubani, and made available to SaharaNews, he called on INEC to make sure it guarantees peace in the State by being transparently honest in handling the Sensitive Materials.
He insisted that the Sensitive Materials for next Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections must not only be intact but must be seen and confirmed to be untampered with by Agents of PDP in the State, adding, that’s the only condition for any election(s) to take place in Abia.
The full statement reads,
As had been stated in an earlier release, the Peoples Democratic Party in Abia State condemns the postponement of Presidential and National Assembly elections that were scheduled for yesterday, Saturday 16th February, 2019, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in its totality.
With the rescheduling of both Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday 23rd February, 2019 and official directive and attendant expectation that all Sensitive Materials that had earlier been distributed for the elections be retrieved and secured in the Central Bank of Nigeria by INEC, PDP in Abia State, hereby, calls on INEC to make sure it guarantees peace in the State by being transparently honest in handling the Sensitive Materials.
PDP in Abia State insists and will ever insist that the Sensitive Materials for next Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections must not only be intact but must be seen to be so.
The Sensitive Materials must be seen and confirmed to be intact and untampered with by Agents of PDP in the State for any election(s) to take place in the State next Saturday.
PDP in Abia State would want to believe that INEC knows that the Party in the State will be equally Sensitive to the Safety and Appropriateness of the Sensitive Materials and that any attempt, overt or covert, made to tamper with the Sensitive Materials will not only be resisted and rejected but will give way to volatility in the peace architecture of the State.
In summary, PDP, hereby, categorically states that there will be no election in Abia State on Saturday 23rd February, 2019 if Sensitive Materials meant for the elections are not seen and confirmed to be intact by her Agents.
In the meantime, PDP in Abia State wishes to plead with her Members to take yesterday’s unwarranted and unjustifiable postponement by INEC with Equanimity of Heart and a Sense of Patriotism.
Instead of being disillusioned because of the postponement, PDP Members in the State are urged to rather redouble their zeal and determination to come out in their number to vote Massively for their Party, the Umbrella Party and Make Sure that Their Votes Count.