By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja
The Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council PCC has accused the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and the Labour Party LP of engaging in massive thumbprinting of ballot papers in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
The council also alleged that both opposition parties resorted to forcing voters, including women and children, to vote for them.
Spokesman of the Council and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Barr. Festus Keyamo in a statement on Sunday warned the spokespersons of both parties to stop inciting the people to violence.
He said; “Our attention has been drawn to some incendiary comments by spokespersons of the opposition parties, notably the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and the Labour Party LP regarding the yet-to-be-announced results of the elections that held yesterday.
“Some of them have threatened fire and brimstone if their own version of some concocted results are not announced in a bid to be the judge, jury and executioner in this elections.
“Similarly, to rile up their supporters against the country, they play up some isolated incidents of violence in our strongholds, whereas we have tons of videos of massive electoral malpractices like violence against non-LP supporters, forcing and guiding women and children to thumb-print ballot papers for LP and massive thumb-printing of ballot papers by both PDP and LP supporters in some parts of the country. In addition, in one breath one of the spokespersons of the PDP complained about a certain headline in a newspaper about early results, yet in condemning the newspaper, he also makes unfounded claims about the yet-to-be released results”.
He said the council decided to be calm to await the official announcement of the results and to pursue any grievance (if any) in a lawful manner.
However, Keyamo added that the Tinubu Campaign Council “shall not sit back and allow such unguided comments to gain grounds in order to foist a particular narrative on our citizens and the international community”.
“Recall that all parties signed the Peace Accord twice before the eyes of the world. Now is the time to abide by the terms of that accord and show love for country over and above personal ambitions.
“We have all campaigned hard and strong. The Nigerian people have listened to all of us and made their decisions. Now is the time to hear the voices of Nigerians as the results are released and not our own voices. The body officially designated to reflect the voices of Nigerians is the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. No Party can bully them by threats to do its own bidding. Neither will the APC be cowed into silence by this disgusting antics of the opposition parties.
“We call on the International Observers and friends of Nigeria not to be distracted, but to focus on the process as it unfolds”, he stated.
Source: Vanguard
