The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday alleged plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the Ekiti State governorship election slated for July.
The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, made the allegation when the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Bernhard Schlagheck, paid a courtesy call on the party’s leadership at its Abuja secretariat.
The PDP chairman told the envoy that instead of fulfilling its campaign promises to Nigerians, the APC administration has plunged the country into several crises.
Secondus, who called on the international community to prevail on the government to ensure a free and fair election in Ekiti.
He said the election would be the first test for the administration.
According to him, available information indicated that the APC and the INEC have perfected plans rig the election.
Secondus observed that election rigging and vote manipulation have been the major cause of leadership crisis in Africa, adding that “when citizens are deprived of their right to vote, it generates a crisis that would be difficult to control.”
He said: “Nigeria is an important country in the continent of Africa. The best we can give to our people is an election that will be transparent, an election that will be credible, an election that all; both local and international will welcome.
“So we urge the governing APC that the best they can give this country is to offer one man, one vote. We did that during the electoral campaign in 2015 but they are not assuring this, which means that there is a great fear in the land that the election is not going to be free and fair despite all the promises made by INEC.”
