PDP, APC bicker over circulation of unofficial results

FORTY-EIGHT hours after the presidential and National Assembly elections held at the weekend, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition All Progressives Party (APC) are bickering over what the PDP termed the circulation of unofficial results, especially in the social media by its major challenger, the APC.

Therefore, the PDP urged Nigerians to totally disregard misleading figures allegedly being circulated by APC in the social media as results of the polls.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh said yesterday in Abuja that the figures were “fake and do not represent the true results which are currently being collated by INEC, the only body authorized to release and announce results.”

According to Metuh, “The APC in its desperation for power has resorted to posting fake results in the social media in a bid to ambush the electoral commission, mislead the unsuspecting public to believe it is winning, all in furtherance of its grand plot to cause confusion and set the stage for violence when the authentic results are finally released.”

However, the APC alleged a plot by the PDP-led government to tamper with the results of Saturday’s elections and circumvent the people’s will.

The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, alleged that, “The information we have received since we issued our last statement is to the effect that the administration is holding clandestine meetings with security chiefs and others with the sole aim of altering or scuttling the results, which they consider to be highly embarrassing and unpalatable, using malleable Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).”

The party warned that nothing but the authentic results held by the party agents and all other stakeholders will be acceptable, and that whoever is planning to do otherwise should weigh its implication on the survival of the nation’s democracy, alerting Nigerians and the international community of alleged plot.

“We therefore alert Nigerians to be on their guard and close ranks in resisting the APC’s plot to plunge the nation into chaos and anarchy. Our democracy has come to stay and the will of the people must prevail over and above the parochial ambition of a selfish few.

PDP continued: “Finally, we strongly caution the APC against its acts of desperation and use of dishonest methods including physical attacks against our members and supporters as these pose great threat to our democracy, the unity and stability of our dear nation.

Also yesterday, PDP Presidential campaign organisation called on security agencies to be fully at alert to checkmate what it called dangerous plot by the opposition APC should it’s presidential candidate, Buhari lose the Presidential election.

Director of Media of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani Kayode, alleged ‎at a press conference in Abuja that part of the plot was the alleged announcement of fake results by the APC to prepare grounds for violent protest whenever the original result was announced by INEC.

Fani-Kayode said, “The public have been inundated with lie after lie about the APC’s so-called victories in virtually every single polling booth, ward, local government area and state in the country. This is not only nonsensical but it is also far-fetched, absurd and childish.”

Two opposition media houses and their associates in the social media went as far as to shamelessly claim that President Jonathan lost in my polling unit and in my ward in Ile-Ife. Needless to say these claims by the APC are not only false but they are also absurd and nauseating. Such mendacities are indicative of the fact that they have lost touch with reality as we have always suspected.

As a matter of fact we are surprised that they didn’t claim that the President himself also lost in his polling unit and ward and that he in fact voted for Buhari rather than for himself. Such is their level of depravity and deceit that they will manufacture any lie and assert any falsehood just to gain an edge and feed their vain delusions.

APC however, countered that, “the moves to manipulate the results are also being replicated in some of the states, including Bauchi where everything is being done to reverse the outcome, and Imo, where many aides of the governor are being brutalized and arrested.

“We know they are stunned dizzy by the crushing defeat which has been inflicted on them across the nation, going by the results in the hands of our agents. We know they have activated their paid media channels to seek to confuse Nigerians by making outlandish claims that their presidential candidate is leading in the elections. We know they are counting on malleable RECs to thwart the will of the people, and we know they don’t mind plunging the nation into crisis just because of narrow interests.

“This is why we are putting on red alert all the good people of Nigeria who trooped out in large numbers, defying the sun and the rain and against all odds, to vote for change. We are also by this statement calling on the international community to urgently prevail on the Nigerian authorities not to tamper with the results of the elections as expressed by Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled results of two polling units in two separate local government councils in Kano.

The affected units are 007 polling unit in Kibiya ward, Kibiya Local Government Council in Kano South and Jodode polling unit in Kunchi Local Government Council, Kano north.

Announcing the decision during the presentation of presidential results, the state Collation Officer, Prof. Muhammed Hamisu said both units were cancelled for result forgery.