The presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has told opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) that they can’t pressure the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce fabricated results for the Saturday elections.
“We have tons of videos of massive electoral malpractices like violence against non-LP supporters, forcing and guiding women and children to thumb-print ballot papers for LP and manipulate,” APC said.
Nigerians voted in the presidential and national assembly elections on Saturday but voting in some polling units in the country was extended to Sunday due to logistic reasons.
The Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have made multiple statements about the announcement of election results.
The LP’s national chairman, Julius Abure, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of attempting to tamper with election results in some polling units by refusing to upload them to its result viewing portal.
The PDP presidential campaign council also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to summon APC flagbearer Bola Tinubu over the alleged publication of forged election results.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Festus Keyamo, spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign, accused the opposition parties of threatening violence if their own version of results was not announced by INEC.
According to the APC campaign, no political party can force the electoral umpire to release its own version of the results.
“Some of them have threatened fire and brimstone if their own version of some concocted results is not announced in a bid to be the judge, jury, and executioner in these elections,” the statement read.
“Similarly, to rile up their supporters against the country, they play up some isolated incidents of violence in our strongholds, whereas we have tons of videos of massive electoral malpractices like violence against non-LP supporters, forcing and guiding women and children to thumb-print ballot papers for LP and massive thumb-printing of ballot papers by both PDP and LP supporters in some parts of the country.
“In addition, in one breath one of the spokespersons of the PDP complained about a certain headline in a newspaper about early results, yet in condemning the newspaper, he also makes unfounded claims about the yet-to-be-released results.
“On our part, we have decided to be calm to await the official announcement of the results and to pursue any grievance (if any) in a lawful manner.
“But we shall not sit back and allow such unguided comments to gain grounds in order to foist a particular narrative on our citizens and the international community.
“Recall that all parties signed the Peace Accord twice before the eyes of the world. Now is the time to abide by the terms of that accord and show love for country over and above personal ambitions.
“We have all campaigned hard and strong. The Nigerian people have listened to all of us and made their decisions.
“Now is the time to hear the voices of Nigerians as the results are released and not our own voices. The body officially designated to reflect the voices of Nigerians is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“No party can bully them by threats to do its own bidding. Neither will the APC be cowed into silence by these disgusting antics of the opposition parties.”
