PDP Sends Strong Message To INEC After Atiku Picked Its Presidential Ticket

Following the success of its special national convention that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its 2019 presidential standard-bearer, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has arrived at the conclusion that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is allegedly responsible for “outright rigging of elections” in the country.

The PDP said the orderliness, transparency and credibility that characterized its presidential primary also indicates that INEC is allegedly “compromised” under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.

The opposition party argued that its presidential primary poll clearly shows that elections could be conducted in the country without any need for “heavy security” as witnessed in the governorship elections recently held in Ekiti and Osun States

“The process has shown that the electoral umpire, in its manifest compromises, has been responsible for electoral crisis in various levels of elections our nation and proves that Nigerians, irrespective of their individual and group interests are capable of holding peaceful and credible elections that meet global standards,” the PDP said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

“The success of our presidential primary followed our strict adherence to democratic rules and principles of transparency, fairness, which has eluded the nation since the coming to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led licentious administration. Simply put, in the PDP Presidential primary, every vote counted.

“Nigerians are therefore no longer in doubt that our compromised electoral umpire, under the Buhari administration, is ostensibly culpable for injecting rancorous situations that create openings for violence, manipulations, inconclusive polls and outright rigging of elections.

“We invite the whole world to note that the PDP conducted our Presidential primary was conducted, and a clear winner emerged without any form of disagreements or reliance on heavy security, showing that Nigerians are peaceful, orderly and desirous of credible processes at all levels of political engagement.

“The PDP therefore charges INEC to stop blaming Nigerians, accept responsibility for failed elections and learn from our presidential primary template in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

“Finally, the PDP restate its determination to dismantle the APC rigging machinery and return credible processes in all spheres of our national life,” said the opposition party.

Meanwhile, Atiku emerged PDP’s presidential candidate after defeating other aspirants by polling 1, 532 votes.

BELOW IS THE FULL RESULT OF THE PDP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION

Atiku Abubakar – 1532
Aminu Tambuwal – 693
Abubakar Bukola Saraki – 317
Rabiu Kwankwaso 158
Ibrahim Dankwambo – 111
Sule lamido – 96
Ahmed Markarfi – 74
Attahiru Bafarawa – 48
David Mark – 35
Jonah Jang – 19
Datti Baba Ahmed – 05
Kabiru Tanimu Turaki – 68

The delegates accredited to vote at the primary poll totaled 3, 221. The electoral committee announced that 68 votes were invalid.