The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday said it would petition the United Nations and other global democratic institutions on the role of the military and the killings of Nigerians during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, who briefed the media after the party’s expanded caucus meeting in Abuja, also said the caucus commended Nigerians for coming out to vote during the elections.
He claimed that the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won the election, adding that his mandate was “stolen.”
He stated that the caucus resolved to support Atiku and the PDP in their resolve to contest the declaration of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari, by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the winner of the election at the tribunal.
Ologbondiyan said, “Caucus commended Nigerians for refusing the harassment, intimidation and militarisation of the electoral process and participating in the elections but noted that the mandate that was freely given to our candidate was stolen and as such the party and the candidate jointly resolved to go to the tribunal and to see it through to the end of what is permissible within our legal system to get back our mandate on behalf of Nigerians.
“Caucus further noted the role of the military in the February 23 elections and resolved that we will report the action of the military through a petition to the United Nations as well as other global democratic institutions on the role of our military in the February 23 elections.
“Caucus also reviewed the situation in Kano State particularly as it concerned the court decision that the PDP should organise a fresh rerun for its governorship candidate and noted that an appeal had been filed against the judgement and we will continue to study and follow the situation as they arise.”
He also alleged that the Buhari presidency and the APC had been intimidating Atiku, his acquaintances and personal lawyer.
Ologbondiyan also said the South-South geopolitical zone had been militarised, adding that the APC was allegedly plotting to rig the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
Ologbondiyan said, “Caucus further raised issues about the harassment, intimidation and the cajoling of our members on the plot by the Buhari presidency as well as the APC to intimidate Atiku and the resolve of the PDP to go to court by insisting, blackmailing and saying that he should not go to court. We insist that our party and our candidate have resolved to seek legal redress on the stolen mandate.”
Asked why the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and the PDP governors were not at the meeting, Ologbondiyan said they did not shun the meeting but were busy with electioneering for the Saturday’s elections.
He added that they sent apologies for their inability to attend the meeting.
Ologbondiyan further said it was surprising that some groups had been urging Atiku and the PDP to drop the legal option.
According to him, some of those groups had been financially induced by the Presidency and the APC for their campaign.
He wondered why Buhari and the APC were jittery over the resolve of Atiku and the PDP to go to the tribunal if they had nothing to hide.
