The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has kicked against planned nationwide military exercise, tagged Python Dance III.
The main opposition party described the exercise as another plot to rig the 2019 general elections.
Recall that thr Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, had announced that the military exercise would commence from January 1, 2019 and last till February 28.
He said the exercise was in preparation against security challenges anticipated before, during and after the 2019 general election.
However, the PDP through its National Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Saturday, alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was plotting to use the exercise to rig the 2019 presidential election.
The PDP said that the plot was in line with the alleged “desperation of the Buhari Presidency to foist a siege mentality on the nation ahead of the 2019 general elections.”
The statement added, “Our investigation shows that part of the plot is to use the military operation as a subterfuge to unleash heavy security presence to intimidate, harass and instil fear in voters in PDP strongholds across the country and pave the way for the allocation of fictitious votes to President Buhari and the APC.
“Further investigation revealed that agents of the Buhari Presidency are working in cohort with some compromised top officials of the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use soldiers to provide cover for diversion of electoral materials, as well as aid APC agents in their plan to unleash violence and disrupt the electoral process in areas where the PDP is winning.
“In spanning the military operation to February 28, 2019, the Buhari Presidency betrayed its anticipation of public rejection or violence, which can only come when a result that does not reflect the actual wish of the people is announced.
“Everybody in Nigeria and world over, including the Presidency knew the direction the 2019 presidential election tide is flowing.
“Nigerians are eager for a new president, having lost confidence in Buhari due to his alleged failures in governance.
“The PDP PCO, therefore, rejects this deliberate attempt by the Buhari Presidency to set our military on a collision course with Nigerians, bearing in mind the collateral damage that usually occurs whenever the civilian population clashes with military
“Our nation is a democratic state and we are not in a state of emergency that requires the militarization of our electoral process.
“Our military, which is cherished by Nigerians, should, therefore, foreclose any attempt by the Buhari Presidency to use it to set our country on fire.
“All that Nigerians desire at this point is to go to the polls and peacefully elect a new President to reposition the nation and not another round of electoral crisis.”
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