Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa Polls Worse Than General Election — PDP Laments

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the outcome of last Saturday’s elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi states, saying it is worse than the general election held in February/March this year.

PDP national chairman, Ambassador Umar Illiya Damagum, who expressed this concern during a press conference on the results of the last off-cycle elections yesterday said, “I am afraid of what will become of future off-season, maybe there will be no election in this country.”

He said last Saturday’s elections confirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has completely derailed, adding that this set of elections was worse than the general election conducted earlier this year.

While decrying the level of violence, intimidation, and high-handedness, he said Nigerians have lost confidence in INEC.

He further said voters were completely disenfranchised due to the complicity of some of the agencies that were to help to have a very fair election but they completely compromised.

“This election is worse than even the one we had earlier. I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians that this is not what we bargained for and also express our fear that if we go on in this kind of manner, I am afraid that some other elections that will be off-season which are coming up very soon, maybe there will be no election in this country. It will be a written result.

“I ask all Nigerians to pray for this country because I don’t know if this is a cause that has happened to us in this country or if this is our way. We should pray that if this is what we are, then God should intervene,” he said.

He, however, urged those who feel cheated in this election to pursue their grievance through the lawful means “even though we have doubts that even the lawful means is also a sad story. In a country where justice is not dispensed, then anarchy is imminent.”

On the state of the party, the chairman said the leadership is doing everything possible to make sure it remains indivisible.

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“I want to urge our members to be very cautious, especially in the way and manner they state things. They should always state facts because it is only the facts that last. I want to assure them that we will continue to do justice to all.

“We are ready to take all the blame because after every election there will be blame but all members should reflect on the roles they played during campaigns, during elections, and after.

“We should have a self-reflection so that at the end of the day, we shall know whether we are doing the right thing because we all need this party. Our duty here is to make sure that this party remains indivisible,” he said.

On conflicting legal cases surrounding the national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu who was the party’s candidate in the Imo election, Damagun said.

“Since there are conflicting court orders, we urged the two sides to stand down and we have agreed and appointed the Deputy National Secretary to continue to act as Secretary pending the time we will resolve all the issues; the conflicting court orders and resolutions of the southeast. So there is no conflict and we are together and thinking together on this issue.”