Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Wednesday dismissed the manner under which the 2019 general elections was conducted as a dangerous and unacceptable precedence in the political history of the country.
He specifically took exemptions to the alleged militarisation of the election process, brazen display of impunity and rigging which he said characterised the polls.
Dogara made this declaration during the 85th PDP emergency NEC meeting held at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
In his words, “The conduct of the 2019 general elections was a dangerous and unacceptable precedence.
“Evil does not last forever. No evil doer has ever escaped punishment.
“For those who pursue public office for the sake of power without plan to better the lots of the citizenry should learn a lesson from the late German leader, Adolphus Hitler. His life saw tragedy.
“We have seen this scenario in display in Nigeria.
“We have five inconclusive gubernatorial polls but it is clear that the PDP won in those states. By the grace of God, PDP will overcome”.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki in his speech rather urged the PDP faithfuls to remain steadfast and lay a great foundation for the main opposition party to move ahead.
He further implored the party’s stakeholders to defend the states come Saturday March 23, poll where elections were declared inconclusive, saying the party will someday embark on post-mortem to strengthen the PDP.
Saraki pointedly alleged that the PDP opposition in the elections was never the ruling APC but security agencies.
He added that it was a shame to those who said they have won in such undemocratic circumstance.
He said, “Even those that say they have won, it is a shame. It is not a loss for the PDP but the nation.
“Our opposition is never the APC but security agencies.
He cited Ghana, Congo and Zimbabwe as countries who relatively had conducted a free, fair and credible polls better than Nigeria in the present circumstance.
On this premise, he urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to stand up and do the right thing.
He colloborated, “We are setting a bad example when we bring militarisation into the election.
But the PDP vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi in his reaction, said, “As for me, while we blame the INEC and the security agencies, the biggest shame goes to those who are directing them to do the wrong thing.
“If you choose to be a leader, especially with APC that claims integrity, the biggest corruption and the biggest show of a government that does not believe in integrity is to rig election. Because the process through which you come into office is far more fundamental than what you do thereafter.
“I think we should hold them responsible for what is happening in this country now. The examples we are setting for the young ones. I don’t know what they will tell a young man who is cheating in an examination in this country after seeing the ways our elections are conducted.
“I don’t know what they will tell those who are robbing banks and kidnapping people, because we have seen the biggest of it by this election where people are happy after robbing the nation and the states.”
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