2023: We’ll not accept questionable harvests of votes, Ayu tells INEC

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu has, categorically, told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party will reject, in totality, questionable harvests of votes during the 2023 general election.

Ayu has therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to stick to his promises of ensuring free, fair and credible election.

The National Chairman of the PDP

spoke on Friday at  the commissioning of the revamped Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) Office Complex, in Asokoro area of Abuja.

The PDI, a training and research arm of the party, was  birthed on 31st August, 2000 and it serves as research centre of the party during it’s 16 years in power, though it operated from a portakabin.

In the words of Ayu, “the PDP calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to keep his word of ensuring that the 2023 elections are free, fair, transparent and credible. Both the presidency and the APC must not intimidate INEC or its functionaries in any way: let every vote count.

“The party maintains that we will not accept the questionable harvests of votes from inaccessible areas as happened in previous elections under the APC.

“Finally, we renew our call on the international community, especially the US, European Union, the Commonwealth and the African Union to sustain their interest in the democratic project in Nigeria through diplomatic pressures, political contacts and large, high-calibre observer missions”, he said.

The PDI, Ayu said ,was  conceived to be the Think-tank for the party, an ideation center for the rigorous intellectual work of research, socio-economic analysis, policy development, training and capacity building of political actors, and the strengthening of democratic institutions and culture.

He justified the establishment of the institute saying that the PDI has lived up to its bidding as it hosted programs for both domestic and international audiences, engaged in research-based publications, and contributed significantly to the capacity-building of party functionaries nationwide.

According to him, “This explains why PDP’s 16 years in power were action-packed, eventful, impactful and useful.

“PDP was not hurriedly conceived as a propaganda machine just to access power – it came to power with a mission.

“And we understood that democracy is not a one-man show something to be run on adhoc  arrangements – democracy is about mass participation, shared ideas and shared prosperity.

“PDI is, therefore, the p

arty’s tool for generating ideas,  thoroughly researching them and rigorously analyzing development options/policies for good governance and National development,” he said.

Ayu said, however, that it is regretful that after more than a decade of eventful activities, the Institute lost its accommodation in Wuse II, and had to be located in a  Porta-cabin at the party’s national headquarters.

The PDP National Chairman pointed out that he was happy to have  championed the revamping of the research/intellectual arm of the  party.

He said “today, however, marks another turning point in our Party’s fortunes. The deliberate actions of the current NWC have revived hope for the survival of the Institute. It is now comfortably accommodated in this structure which has been rented, renovated, furnished and equipped for PDI to effectively re-engage the purpose for which it was established.

“When we came on board in December last year, we promised to revamp the PDI, and today, God has made it possible.

 “The place is fully computerized with state-of-the-art equipment, resource materials and the requisite personnel to deliver strategic data and statistics to enable the incoming Atiku Abubakar administration to  hit the ground running”, he said.

The national chairman commended the governor of Oyo State Seyi Makinde for providing financial assistance to the party for the rehabilitation of the Institute.