Kogi guber: PDP warns INEC, Bello against rigging

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to attempt to use its extrapolations on violence as cover and justification to manipulate the November 16 Governorship election in Kogi state.
The party said it is poised to win the Kogi election, adding that INEC must ensure a credible, free and fair process devoid of orchestrated logistic failures that stoke agitations and violence in elections.
The PDP gave the warning in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.
The party insisted that INEC should issue a direct warning to Governor Yahaya Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to desist from any act of violence in the election, as the people of Kogi state are at alert and fully prepared to confront the Governor and his party on all fronts.
According to the statement, “Our party is already aware of the heinous plots by jittery Yahaya Bello to orchestrate violence, having realized that there is no way he can win in this election.
“Our message to the sinking governor is that such cannot save him from a crushing defeat at the poll.
“While the PDP do not support or preach violence, it must be noted that our party is standing behind the people of Kogi state in their determination never to allow anybody to intimidate or suppress them.
“The PDP wants INEC and Governor Yahaya Bello to note that the November 16 election is a determined march by the people against a suppressive, cruel, chaotic, sadistic, acrimonious and inhuman administration.
“It is a determined march against acute poverty, hunger and starvation, fear, general low life and despondency in the state, which Governor Yahaya Bello and the APC represent.
“The Kogi election will mark a definite and inevitable triumph of light over darkness, freedom over suppression, prosperity over poverty, justice over impunity, peace over violence, progress over stagnation, democracy over personality cult and self-centeredness. No amount of intimidation can stop the people in this resolve”, it said.
The PDP therefore counseled INEC to desist from negative extrapolations and be ready to deliver a credible, free, fair, transparent election, devoid of deliberate logistic failures tailored to frustrate the will of the people.